


When The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

by Jennifer_Lyn (littleoracle)



Category: Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Original Character(s), Plays with canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleoracle/pseuds/Jennifer_Lyn
Summary: Asajj Ventress appears on Tatooine looking for Obi-Wan's help.





	1. Chapter 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi left the small cantina and although he was unsure of his destination, began walking briskly through waning light of the two setting suns. All his senses were sharply attuned to his surroundings as he made his way down the street. After walking a few blocks he ducked into an alley between two of the town’s retail establishments. The detritus of hurried shoppers that lined the passage’s edges gave proof that the short cut was well known and well traveled. With darkness falling, the customers had made their way to the safety of their homes leaving the passage empty but for the Jedi Master. Obi-Wan had walked a good way toward the street at the opposite end when he stopped suddenly, as if coming to some decision and, setting his shoulders, turned around and spoke into the dim light.

  
“You have been following me for quite some time now. Why don’t you show yourself so we can both get on with our business?”  
  
After a few moments a grey-cloaked figure appeared from around the corner, barely distinguishable in the fading light. At last Obi-Wan had a visual confirmation of the being that had been relentlessly tracking his movements for the last two weeks. The Force was strong with this being and its shields were locked down tight, preventing him from fathoming its intentions and identity.  
  
Obi-Wan had come to Mos Espa in an effort to ensure the safety of his mission on Tatooine. The Lars family was important to the future of the galaxy and it was his duty to watch over them. He had been relieved when, like the jaja bird from its nest, he had been able to draw the predator’s attentions away from those he was charged to protect. He was not concerned with any dangers to himself, he had been in similar situations his entire life, but Luke was still very young and had much living to do before he faced such trials. Obi-Wan’s attention returned to the slowly approaching figure and he tried again to probe for answers. He could sense that the being within the dark hood was weary. Cracks were beginning to show in its mental armor.  
  
“Your shields have been slipping a bit the last two days.” He informed the figure. “So, you are a Grey One. I had thought you an agent of the Dark side, but I see there is much Light in you as well.”  
  
There was no response from the figure. It simply walked toward him. Obi-Wan placed a hand on his lightsaber and stood at the ready although he was otherwise still and confident in the calm of the Force. In the whole time it had been on planet, the being had yet to confront him itself. Here lay the largest question in Obi-Wan’s mind. If it was after him, as he suspected, then why didn’t it attack?  
  
“Come forward then, what is your purpose here?”  
  
The figure continued toward him at a slow, but steady, pace. He sensed that it was not concern for its own physical well being that made its steps so leaden, but the possibility that Obi-Wan would reject its presence. He noted that it was tainted, too, with a sense of lost hope and lingering anger.  
  
“Come, come now. I’m a busy man. Can’t be standing here all night waiting for you to get your courage up.” He taunted the figure a bit, anxious to solve this plaguing mystery.  
  
The being was directly in front of him now and slowly pulled back its hood. Shoulder-length, black tresses framed a pale face and tattoos shown at the edges of the hairline. Obi-Wan was struck by the loveliness of her features before recognition set in causing a scowl to form on his face.  
  
“Ventress.” He said, his voice neutral despite his inner turmoil.  
  
“Please, Kenobi.” Her voice was a hiss in the night. “I do not come to bring you harm.”  
  
“Then why, by the suns, are you here?” the volume of his voice rose slightly in the fading light.  
  
“I come to speak with you and seek your forgiveness and your blessing.” She bowed her head deferentially toward him.  
  
“My forgiveness? My forgiveness?” his voice was sharp as cut glass. “Why, after all this time, would you want or need that?”  
  
“Please, Kenobi,” her voice was pleading and she looked around the alley nervously. “May we speak somewhere else? Somewhere other ears won’t hear?”  
  
It was the note of desperation in her voice and a sincerity in her he did not remember hearing before that finally caused him to lead her quickly and quietly to his small room above the cantina. When he spoke his words were polite but his voice continued to carry a biting tone.  
  
“Alright, Ventress. You have my full attention and there are no prying ears so please tell me, why would you want my forgiveness now?”  
  
A look of pain passed over her features and she hesitated slightly. He felt the Force move around her and felt her struggle between frustration and calm. The turmoil stilled somewhat as she called on the Living Force. Then she began to speak softly, not trusting her own voice.  
  
“You may not believe me when I tell you, but I’ve come to realize what a fool I was. A true and utter fool. After I healed from our last encounter, I left everything behind. The Dark side, the Light side, even the Force itself for a time. When the Republic fell and the Empire rose, I saw the error of my ways. I should have stayed. I should have helped the Jedi instead of working against them. I began to think about how my first Master would have reacted to the atrocities being committed by the Empire and I know he would not have let them pass without retribution.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s patience with the situation hung by a thread, but her reference to her original Jedi Master had him intrigued. He softened his tone slightly, but still remained neutral. He needed more information before he decided how to deal with this new development.  
  
"While I am glad to hear of your change of heart, it does not reveal what this has to do with me.”  
  
“You remind me of him, of Ky Narec. He had a similar force of will and I haven’t seen anything like it before or since.” She continued. “When the Emperor took control, I knew what I had to do, how I can begin to pay for my errors.”  
  
She looked down at her hands now, unable to meet his formidable glare. “First though, I had to find you and seek your forgiveness and blessing on behalf of the Jedi Order. I knew if anyone had survived, it would be you and no other. I’ve spent the last three years searching for you, Kenobi. It was not easy, but I am even more determined in my mission now then when I started.”  
  
Reaching for strength she did not feel confident she could wield, she met his gaze now. “I… I feel the Force working through me. I don’t think I could have found you if I didn’t.”  
  
“I see.” He nodded his understanding, but remained non-committal in his responses. “You spoke, too, of a blessing. What plan are you forming that would need a Jedi’s blessing?”  
  
“I wish to eliminate as many agents of the Dark side as I may before I am taken down. The Force has allowed me to foresee my own death and don’t wish to let it come upon me without balancing the scales. I wish to act in the name of the Jedi.”  
  
Her voice had not wavered with this statement, though she spoke of her own doom. She had accepted the consequences of this vision and gave every indication she intended to meet it with a brave face. Obi-Wan sat for a long moment before answering her.  
  
_‘Qui-Gon’_ he thought. _‘It seems I am bound to learn of the Living Force the hard way, aren’t I?’_  
  
His instincts were telling him to get rid of her here and now before any further danger befell Luke’s safety. But Obi-Wan Kenobi did not act on instinct alone. A lifetime of training allowed him to easily reach into the Force for guidance and he was surprised to find that the proddings of the Living Force were quite insistent that he trust her immediately. He took a deep breath to center himself and solidify this difficult decision in his mind.  
  
“If you are to earn my forgiveness and this blessing you speak of, then you must complete your Jedi training. I must see that you are truthful in your efforts. I do not doubt your skills with the saber, but you need to ally yourself more fully with the Light side. You cannot defeat enemies of the Light with anger or fear. It is not the Jedi way.” He sighed audibly and she wondered what his next words had cost him to speak. “We cannot accomplish all of that in this little hive of scum and villainy. We shall go to my home and begin our work there. I urge you to think deeply on this tonight. It is not a course of action to be undertaken lightly and I will not be easy on you.”  
  
She did not speak, but smiled a little and nodded her head in humble acceptance. He noted that her response was calm from within. There was a slight lessening of her inner turmoil. Yet the weight of a thousand worlds still sat heavily upon her presence. Obi-Wan knew there was a long journey ahead of them if they were to make her into the warrior she wished to become.  
  
~.~  
  
Across the galaxy from the dusty world of Tatooine, a small, unnamed planet circled a bright, blue star. Having no native sentient species of its own, it was long ago established as a spaceport called Teran Flac. Many places such as this thrived below the radar of the New Galactic Empire. The regime had gained much control over the galaxy in the preceding three years, but had yet to tighten its iron grip around outlying spaceports such as this. Here spicers and smugglers, gamblers and thieves still all found a haven and a place to practice their trades. Unwary refugees were known to lose the last vestiges of their former lives to ruthless gambling lords. Unfortunates and runaways often made their first underworld contacts here, dooming themselves to short lives lived in fear and powerlessness. It was a proving ground for those who were cunning enough to survive the experience and for the few that did so the rewards were legendary. For the others it became a purgatory, though they usually wouldn’t live long enough for their suffering to matter much to anyone.  
  
The inns and cantinas that thrived here were overrun with species from all over the galaxy, creating a cacophony of sound that encroached on even the most isolated corners of the large port. The combined stench of a thousand worlds oozed and crept its way through the throngs crushed into the small market areas as the combined body heat of thousands of beings mingled with the odors of the meager wares of the food stalls. Dirt encrusted every surface, stuck to a greasy film that seemed to get everywhere, no matter how often the vendors tried to clean it off.  
  
It was here, among the darkest society had to offer, that three hooded figures slipped quietly through the crowded streets. The way parted for them, creatures stepping into each other to avoid contact with the dark beings. They were here as part of their trial, their test. None of them had thought it would take more than a few months, but they had learned patience in the ensuing two years of their mission. Their quarry moved frequently, almost constantly. They were still able to follow the trail with preternatural persistence, though they always remained a few frustrating steps behind.  
  
The three, black robed and solidly built, approached a small freighter one of the spaceport’s hangar bays. The pilot of the craft was hard at work on a panel of wiring on the underside of the ship when a shadow fell across his feet. He looked up, pulling his goggles onto his head. He hesitated slightly before speaking; he had a bad feeling about these shadowy figures.  
  
“Hey fellas. Uh. What can I do for ya?” he ventured. He watched as the few beings that had been loitering about the entrance stood up and walked out, leaving the hangar empty, but for these new visitors.  
  
“You carry passengers?” the voice was like an oil slick, its tone unreadable.  
  
“Yeah, sure. All the time. You guys need a lift somewhere?” He reflected that this would most probably not be his favorite job, but credits were credits and a man needs to eat.  
  
“We will not needing, a lift, as you say. We need to know about one of your previous passengers.” The second figure spoke with a similarly eerie voice and ran his hand down the side of the ship.  
  
The pilot watched the motion out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t know much about any of them. I’m not dumb enough to ask questions. I just drop ‘em and go, if I can help it.” His answer was honest, but he knew it wasn’t what they were looking for. “I do that kind of job so often, I don’t remember one from the other.”  
  
“But you will give us the information we seek.” The third voice was uncompromising and the pilot took a step backward.  
  
“Sorry, guys. Wish I could help, but unless it was yesterday I don’t really remember much.” His heart rate increased as the three figures began to crowd his personal space.  
  
“I was not asking you. I was telling you. You will give us the information.” The third voice spoke as his two companions stepped to either side of the pilot, grabbing his arms firmly.  
  
“I told you, I don’t know anything. Got a memory problem from a hit in the head during the wars. Get it? I don’t remember nuthin’ from anything past yesterday about people and places and such.” His voice rose and tightened in fear and he looked about the otherwise empty hangar for someone who might help.  
  
He tried to pull away from his captors, but their grips were like iron bands around his upper arms. When he started to struggle more violently the third figure moved forward and grasped his body quickly in multiple places using small, gentle tweaks. With a growing sense of horror, the pilot realized he could no longer move. His entire nervous system had been hijacked and he was moved to his knees before the terrifying figure.  
  
“Now, that’s better.” The voice came from beneath the hood. “You will reveal what you know, and trust me, you have the knowledge we require. It just may take a little more work than we had expected.”  
  
Hands were placed on the pilot’s head just before a searing pain ripped through his mind like a harrow through hard soil. Memories flooded through his brain, overwhelming his senses before he finally blacked out.  
  
A little while later three cloaked figures boarded the small freighter and prepared it for takeoff, the underbelly wiring neatly and efficiently patched. As the ship rose through the hangar's open ceiling toward space the engine roared, scouring the interior of the structure clean of every flammable or organic object still remaining within.


	2. Chapter 2

Obi-Wan Kenobi left the small cantina and although he was unsure of his destination, began walking briskly through waning light of the two setting suns. All his senses were sharply attuned to his surroundings as he made his way down the street. After walking a few blocks he ducked into an alley between two of the town’s retail establishments. The detritus of hurried shoppers that lined the passage’s edges gave proof that the short cut was well known and well traveled. With darkness falling, the customers had made their way to the safety of their homes leaving the passage empty but for the Jedi Master. Obi-Wan had walked a good way toward the street at the opposite end when he stopped suddenly, as if coming to some decision and, setting his shoulders, turned around and spoke into the dim light.

  
“You have been following me for quite some time now. Why don’t you show yourself so we can both get on with our business?”  
  
After a few moments a grey-cloaked figure appeared from around the corner, barely distinguishable in the fading light. At last Obi-Wan had a visual confirmation of the being that had been relentlessly tracking his movements for the last two weeks. The Force was strong with this being and its shields were locked down tight, preventing him from fathoming its intentions and identity.  
  
Obi-Wan had come to Mos Espa in an effort to ensure the safety of his mission on Tatooine. The Lars family was important to the future of the galaxy and it was his duty to watch over them. He had been relieved when, like the jaja bird from its nest, he had been able to draw the predator’s attentions away from those he was charged to protect. He was not concerned with any dangers to himself, he had been in similar situations his entire life, but Luke was still very young and had much living to do before he faced such trials. Obi-Wan’s attention returned to the slowly approaching figure and he tried again to probe for answers. He could sense that the being within the dark hood was weary. Cracks were beginning to show in its mental armor.  
  
“Your shields have been slipping a bit the last two days.” He informed the figure. “So, you are a Grey One. I had thought you an agent of the Dark side, but I see there is much Light in you as well.”  
  
There was no response from the figure. It simply walked toward him. Obi-Wan placed a hand on his lightsaber and stood at the ready although he was otherwise still and confident in the calm of the Force. In the whole time it had been on planet, the being had yet to confront him itself. Here lay the largest question in Obi-Wan’s mind. If it was after him, as he suspected, then why didn’t it attack?  
  
“Come forward then, what is your purpose here?”  
  
The figure continued toward him at a slow, but steady, pace. He sensed that it was not concern for its own physical well being that made its steps so leaden, but the possibility that Obi-Wan would reject its presence. He noted that it was tainted, too, with a sense of lost hope and lingering anger.  
  
“Come, come now. I’m a busy man. Can’t be standing here all night waiting for you to get your courage up.” He taunted the figure a bit, anxious to solve this plaguing mystery.  
  
The being was directly in front of him now and slowly pulled back its hood. Shoulder-length, black tresses framed a pale face and tattoos shown at the edges of the hairline. Obi-Wan was struck by the loveliness of her features before recognition set in causing a scowl to form on his face.  
  
“Ventress.” He said, his voice neutral despite his inner turmoil.  
  
“Please, Kenobi.” Her voice was a hiss in the night. “I do not come to bring you harm.”  
  
“Then why, by the suns, are you here?” the volume of his voice rose slightly in the fading light.  
  
“I come to speak with you and seek your forgiveness and your blessing.” She bowed her head deferentially toward him.  
  
“My forgiveness? My forgiveness?” his voice was sharp as cut glass. “Why, after all this time, would you want or need that?”  
  
“Please, Kenobi,” her voice was pleading and she looked around the alley nervously. “May we speak somewhere else? Somewhere other ears won’t hear?”  
  
It was the note of desperation in her voice and a sincerity in her he did not remember hearing before that finally caused him to lead her quickly and quietly to his small room above the cantina. When he spoke his words were polite but his voice continued to carry a biting tone.  
  
“Alright, Ventress. You have my full attention and there are no prying ears so please tell me, why would you want my forgiveness now?”  
  
A look of pain passed over her features and she hesitated slightly. He felt the Force move around her and felt her struggle between frustration and calm. The turmoil stilled somewhat as she called on the Living Force. Then she began to speak softly, not trusting her own voice.  
  
“You may not believe me when I tell you, but I’ve come to realize what a fool I was. A true and utter fool. After I healed from our last encounter, I left everything behind. The Dark side, the Light side, even the Force itself for a time. When the Republic fell and the Empire rose, I saw the error of my ways. I should have stayed. I should have helped the Jedi instead of working against them. I began to think about how my first Master would have reacted to the atrocities being committed by the Empire and I know he would not have let them pass without retribution.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s patience with the situation hung by a thread, but her reference to her original Jedi Master had him intrigued. He softened his tone slightly, but still remained neutral. He needed more information before he decided how to deal with this new development.  
  
"While I am glad to hear of your change of heart, it does not reveal what this has to do with me.”  
  
“You remind me of him, of Ky Narec. He had a similar force of will and I haven’t seen anything like it before or since.” She continued. “When the Emperor took control, I knew what I had to do, how I can begin to pay for my errors.”  
  
She looked down at her hands now, unable to meet his formidable glare. “First though, I had to find you and seek your forgiveness and blessing on behalf of the Jedi Order. I knew if anyone had survived, it would be you and no other. I’ve spent the last three years searching for you, Kenobi. It was not easy, but I am even more determined in my mission now then when I started.”  
  
Reaching for strength she did not feel confident she could wield, she met his gaze now. “I… I feel the Force working through me. I don’t think I could have found you if I didn’t.”  
  
“I see.” He nodded his understanding, but remained non-committal in his responses. “You spoke, too, of a blessing. What plan are you forming that would need a Jedi’s blessing?”  
  
“I wish to eliminate as many agents of the Dark side as I may before I am taken down. The Force has allowed me to foresee my own death and don’t wish to let it come upon me without balancing the scales. I wish to act in the name of the Jedi.”  
  
Her voice had not wavered with this statement, though she spoke of her own doom. She had accepted the consequences of this vision and gave every indication she intended to meet it with a brave face. Obi-Wan sat for a long moment before answering her.  
  
_‘Qui-Gon’_ he thought. _‘It seems I am bound to learn of the Living Force the hard way, aren’t I?’_  
  
His instincts were telling him to get rid of her here and now before any further danger befell Luke’s safety. But Obi-Wan Kenobi did not act on instinct alone. A lifetime of training allowed him to easily reach into the Force for guidance and he was surprised to find that the proddings of the Living Force were quite insistent that he trust her immediately. He took a deep breath to center himself and solidify this difficult decision in his mind.  
  
“If you are to earn my forgiveness and this blessing you speak of, then you must complete your Jedi training. I must see that you are truthful in your efforts. I do not doubt your skills with the saber, but you need to ally yourself more fully with the Light side. You cannot defeat enemies of the Light with anger or fear. It is not the Jedi way.” He sighed audibly and she wondered what his next words had cost him to speak. “We cannot accomplish all of that in this little hive of scum and villainy. We shall go to my home and begin our work there. I urge you to think deeply on this tonight. It is not a course of action to be undertaken lightly and I will not be easy on you.”  
  
She did not speak, but smiled a little and nodded her head in humble acceptance. He noted that her response was calm from within. There was a slight lessening of her inner turmoil. Yet the weight of a thousand worlds still sat heavily upon her presence. Obi-Wan knew there was a long journey ahead of them if they were to make her into the warrior she wished to become.  
  
~.~  
  
Across the galaxy from the dusty world of Tatooine, a small, unnamed planet circled a bright, blue star. Having no native sentient species of its own, it was long ago established as a spaceport called Teran Flac. Many places such as this thrived below the radar of the New Galactic Empire. The regime had gained much control over the galaxy in the preceding three years, but had yet to tighten its iron grip around outlying spaceports such as this. Here spicers and smugglers, gamblers and thieves still all found a haven and a place to practice their trades. Unwary refugees were known to lose the last vestiges of their former lives to ruthless gambling lords. Unfortunates and runaways often made their first underworld contacts here, dooming themselves to short lives lived in fear and powerlessness. It was a proving ground for those who were cunning enough to survive the experience and for the few that did so the rewards were legendary. For the others it became a purgatory, though they usually wouldn’t live long enough for their suffering to matter much to anyone.  
  
The inns and cantinas that thrived here were overrun with species from all over the galaxy, creating a cacophony of sound that encroached on even the most isolated corners of the large port. The combined stench of a thousand worlds oozed and crept its way through the throngs crushed into the small market areas as the combined body heat of thousands of beings mingled with the odors of the meager wares of the food stalls. Dirt encrusted every surface, stuck to a greasy film that seemed to get everywhere, no matter how often the vendors tried to clean it off.  
  
It was here, among the darkest society had to offer, that three hooded figures slipped quietly through the crowded streets. The way parted for them, creatures stepping into each other to avoid contact with the dark beings. They were here as part of their trial, their test. None of them had thought it would take more than a few months, but they had learned patience in the ensuing two years of their mission. Their quarry moved frequently, almost constantly. They were still able to follow the trail with preternatural persistence, though they always remained a few frustrating steps behind.  
  
The three, black robed and solidly built, approached a small freighter one of the spaceport’s hangar bays. The pilot of the craft was hard at work on a panel of wiring on the underside of the ship when a shadow fell across his feet. He looked up, pulling his goggles onto his head. He hesitated slightly before speaking; he had a bad feeling about these shadowy figures.  
  
“Hey fellas. Uh. What can I do for ya?” he ventured. He watched as the few beings that had been loitering about the entrance stood up and walked out, leaving the hangar empty, but for these new visitors.  
  
“You carry passengers?” the voice was like an oil slick, its tone unreadable.  
  
“Yeah, sure. All the time. You guys need a lift somewhere?” He reflected that this would most probably not be his favorite job, but credits were credits and a man needs to eat.  
  
“We will not needing, a lift, as you say. We need to know about one of your previous passengers.” The second figure spoke with a similarly eerie voice and ran his hand down the side of the ship.  
  
The pilot watched the motion out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t know much about any of them. I’m not dumb enough to ask questions. I just drop ‘em and go, if I can help it.” His answer was honest, but he knew it wasn’t what they were looking for. “I do that kind of job so often, I don’t remember one from the other.”  
  
“But you will give us the information we seek.” The third voice was uncompromising and the pilot took a step backward.  
  
“Sorry, guys. Wish I could help, but unless it was yesterday I don’t really remember much.” His heart rate increased as the three figures began to crowd his personal space.  
  
“I was not asking you. I was telling you. You will give us the information.” The third voice spoke as his two companions stepped to either side of the pilot, grabbing his arms firmly.  
  
“I told you, I don’t know anything. Got a memory problem from a hit in the head during the wars. Get it? I don’t remember nuthin’ from anything past yesterday about people and places and such.” His voice rose and tightened in fear and he looked about the otherwise empty hangar for someone who might help.  
  
He tried to pull away from his captors, but their grips were like iron bands around his upper arms. When he started to struggle more violently the third figure moved forward and grasped his body quickly in multiple places using small, gentle tweaks. With a growing sense of horror, the pilot realized he could no longer move. His entire nervous system had been hijacked and he was moved to his knees before the terrifying figure.  
  
“Now, that’s better.” The voice came from beneath the hood. “You will reveal what you know, and trust me, you have the knowledge we require. It just may take a little more work than we had expected.”  
  
Hands were placed on the pilot’s head just before a searing pain ripped through his mind like a harrow through hard soil. Memories flooded through his brain, overwhelming his senses before he finally blacked out.  
  
A little while later three cloaked figures boarded the small freighter and prepared it for takeoff, the underbelly wiring neatly and efficiently patched. As the ship rose through the hangar's open ceiling toward space the engine roared, scouring the interior of the structure clean of every flammable or organic object still remaining within.


	3. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 3

  


Discarded washers, spilt fuel and dead acid rats littered the floor of Pentari, Folcamina's smaller spaceport. A decaying pile of vermin, ignored by the cleaning droids exuded a foul stench along the wall of the hangar. Meticulously, a pair of pale hands reached into the mass of rotting flesh and retrieved a small, metallic object. Bringing the object to his face, the man with the ashy hands sniffed and then discarded it back into the pile of furry bodies, dissatisfied that it did not contain the elusive quality he sought.   
  
His two companions moved similarly along the opposing wall of the large space. The fine fabric of the hems on their dark robes collected bits of fur, grease and dust from the corners they tread so determinedly and the mixture of odors permeated the air around them as they worked. Dismissing the stares of passersby, the cloaked figures moved from hangar to hangar repeating their arcane survey.  
  
After quite a few hangars had been through a thorough, if unorthodox, search, a small contingent of the Emperor’s fully armed Stormtroopers approached the trio from the far side of the cavernous space. Being assigned to the outer reaches of the Empire’s control allowed many men an excuse for lax standards. Some mismatched armor and a formation that was less than standard were hallmarks of these squads. Still, they gave their best attempt at a menacing presence as they approached.  
  
“You three, hold there.” A voice commanded in a distorted and static-filled, monotone.  
  
The hooded men stopped their task and rose with fluid grace away from the object they had been crouched around, testing it with all of their available senses. They patiently waited in silence for the cadre of troopers to catch up with them.  
  
“We’ve been told someone’s poking around the hangar bays. Let’s see some credentials. What’s your business here?” The commanding officer, a lieutenant, barked orders at them. He glanced down at the pile that had been the threesome’s subject of investigation upon his arrival. Relieved his features were hidden behind his helmet, he crinkled his nose in revulsion when he realized they had been picking apart a small feline corpse as if reading its entrails for portents.  
  
“Not to worry, my good man,” the central figure purred. “We all work toward the same goal. Surely, my brothers, we should acquiesce to his most reasonable of requests and give him our identification?”  
  
The speaker reached up swiftly with thin, sallow hands and pulled back his hood, his reticent fellows following suit behind him. The troopers raised their blasters at them in reaction to the unexpected move and then dropped their arms and involuntarily took a step back with the revelation of the faces beneath the fabric, wishing their lieutenant had not asked for identification.  
  
Pale, waxy skin stretched across a conglomeration of features at odds with what nature intended for a human being. Each jaw line was enflamed with vicious, angry burns set deep into the skin and upon each of their heads not a single hair had root.  
  
The lieutenant stood dumbstruck for a long moment before nodding in deference. It took another moment for him to gather his courage to speak, all the while the trio stood taciturn, unmoved by the reaction their features had caused in the normally stalwart warriors.  
  
“Forgive me, my lords. We didn’t know the Inquisitorium had business here.” He hesitated, his tongue a dead weight in his mouth, before continuing. He knew what he had to say, but had no desire to make the offer. “Let us know if we can be any help to your investigations.” The voice sounded a bit less authoritative when faced with the three monstrosities before him, knowing he must defer to any of their needs.  
  
“We have but one simple request of you, most loyal lieutenant. All we require is the hangar records of this spaceport for the last two standard months.” The lead Inquisitor told him in his oil slick tone.  
  
Trying his best to give a confident response the lieutenant replied quickly. It would do his authority no go for his men to see him crack. “Yes, sir. I’ll have it delivered to you right away.”  
  
With a chill running down his spine, the lieutenant turned and led his men out of the hangar at a fairly brisk march. They emerged into the sunlight and suddenly the world once more seemed a place where happiness could be found if one were to search it out. Hoping he was out of earshot of the Inquisitors, the lieutenant brought his troop to a halt and turned to face them and the masks he knew hid looks of confusion and unexplainable fear.  
  
“TK-367, I want you to fulfill that order. Get the Inquisitors their information.” He barked in a stiff tone to hide his anxiety.  
  
“Sir?” TK-641 had a question brewing in his head.  
  
He had watched as the lieutenant had confronted strange men in the black robes. They were never briefed on operatives like that before. The lieutenant seemed a bit edgy since the hoods come off, and he didn’t wonder why by the looks of those guys. And what were they doing with that dead feline? He unconsciously shuddered and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.  
  
The lieutenant knew there were questions to answer and figured it would be better to get it over with, short and sweet. Realizing that he was breathing a bit harder than usual, the he finally resigned himself to the idea that the nightmares would be back that night and replied to his subordinate.  
  
“Yes, soldier? What is it?”  
  
“Never heard of the Inquisitors before, sir. Who do they report to?” The question had a truly probing tone to it; TK-641 proved a bit more canny than his fellows. The lieutenant would remember it when time came for promotions, but for now, he was not going to reveal any more than he had to. The advantage of being in a position of authority was that he did not have to answer the way his men hoped he would and they wouldn’t dare push for more information.  
  
As he turned to face the questioner, he grinned, knowing the rumors would spread like wildfire through his men by meal time. “The head man himself, soldier. Just stay out of their way and let ‘em do their job. No need getting mixed up in that nasty business.”  
  
“Yes, sir.” The trooper replied. He didn’t need any further information. The further he stayed out of the Emperor’s business, the better.  
  
Sunlight knew better than to venture where unwanted. Slowly it crept away from the grip of darkness that seeped from these unnatural creatures like oil through a rag. After calmly watching the troopers scurry out of the hangar, the Inquisitors turned to each other, subtle amusement painted on faces that normally lacked the capacity for such emotions. The moment passed swiftly as one of their number frowned and descended on his compatriot.  
  
“I sense frustration in you, Equatorum. It serves no purpose here and as you have surely discovered by now because I am forced to speak with you directly, it blocks our Force bond.” The tallest of the three stated simply, now standing in front of the man, close in and holding his gaze.  
  
“Lord Vader has been tolerant with our delays thus far, but after three years his patience grows thin. If we do not find our quarry soon, I do not look forward to the repercussions our failure would bring.” The other argued as he moved about, pacing before the others.  
  
“Do not forget.” The third man now spoke, ignoring his associate’s movements as he squat down to continue his inspection of the small body on the floor. “We report to the Emperor, not Lord Vader. The Enforcer may desire this particular capture more than any other, but the Emperor gives us our true mission. We need not be hasty and make decisions that will endanger his directive. I believe we may soon receive information that will solve both of our problems.” He continued to prod the mass of fur on the ground. “There is more than one way to eviscerate a feline.”  
  
As they finished with the small body, a Stormtrooper cautiously approached them, datapad in hand. The moment it left his possession, the armored man beat a hasty retreat to the closest exit moving as fast as he dared without breaking into a sprint. Ignoring the Stormtrooper’s fearful reaction as a matter of course, the lead Inquisitor quickly scanned the list on the datapad. Suddenly, he relaxed his furrowed brow and a grin crept into the edges of his mouth.  
  
“Let us precede to docking bay 49, my friends. We may find what we are looking for there.” 


	4. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 4

  


Continuing as it had for millennia, Tatooine’s twin suns beat mercilessly down into a steep canyon of red rock. Boulders were strewn across its base, long abandoned by the rivers that once flowed there. Amongst the forgotten monuments to fertile times, long blades of light flashed and sparked ferociously against each other in a deadly dance of power. Two figures wielded the plasma weapons, sweat pouring down their backs, soaking the light tunics they wore until they clung to the skin.   
  
With a movement faster than the eye could follow, one combatant spun with the fluidity of a dancer as he blocked a swing aimed at his chest with one blade, bringing a second blade around to block a cut aimed at his legs. He took half a step backward before calling on the Force to aid his leap over his opponent’s head, landing some distance away on a high rock attached to the canyon wall. His adversary pursued relentlessly and moved quickly, jumping to land on a similar berm within reach of his sabers.  
  
Though easily thwarted, the slim figure plied her green and purple blades in an attempt to remove first his hand, then his head as she moved in close, stepping onto the narrow ledge along side him. A loud cracking sound shot through the canyon as the stone crumbled under their feet. The adversaries leapt apart as their footholds disappeared and they skillfully landed a short distance from each other on the ground below. Recovering quickly and hoping to catch him off guard, Ventress suddenly flew at Kenobi in a new flurry of strikes and thrusts.  
  
Obi-Wan surprised himself by finding a subtle new sense of balance using two blades, a style most unfamiliar to him. Though he still preferred the easy agility a single blade provided, over the past month he had learned of the defensive advantages two lightsabers provided. His ability to constantly block and parry her every strike frustrated Asajj greatly and he could sense it through the thick air.  
  
He gave her a taunting grin. “If you stay on the attack, there is naught for me to do but defend, Asajj. Something I’ve already proven to you I can do for quite some time.”  
  
She growled in her throat and pushed out at him with the Force in a frustrated blow that took him off guard. He stumbled and regained his balance just in time to block the fresh rain of blows she brought down upon him.  
  
“You lose patience too easily, Asajj.” He told her as he finally found the hole he was waiting for.  
  
Coming in close to her body, he spun, countering her movements, and landed a killing blow. Asajj yelped in ill-tempered pain, thankful that the sabers had been set on a training level as she involuntarily grabbed the burn on her neck. The pain of this wound would pass in time. The greater injury, the one no amount of bacta could heal, was to her pride. Powering down their sabers, they bowed to each other, formally ending the session.  
  
“You are getting better, Asajj.” He complimented her as he clipped his sabers to his belt. “But you need accept that the Force will guide your actions, not the other way round. You try to make it do things as you think they should be done. Manipulation of the Force in such a way will not get you where you wish to go.”  
  
Besides being tired and angry at both herself and her new mentor, Asajj’s mind was too scorched by the unrelenting heat to accept Ben’s lecturing gracefully.  
  
“Is that what you taught Skywalker?” she snapped at him with her eyes flashing. He may have ended the duel, but she would deal the final blow. “Look where it got him. Your fallen angel now hunts our kind like animals.” She laughed. “Yes, I know it’s him under that mask. One does not battle Anakin Skywalker and forget that presence easily.”  
  
Ben said nothing but simply put out his open hand to her, his face a stoic mask. She slapped the two hilts she had been using into his palm and turned away. He caressed his hand over them, attempting to cleanse Asajj’s presence from the surface before hanging them along with the other two on his belt. Without a word he turned away from her and began walking towards home.  
  
“You look like General Grievous, you know, with your collection of fallen Jedi lightsabers.” Petty and cruel? Yes, she knew the words would do nothing to help her case, but the man was so damned infuriating.  
  
“That will be the end of lessons for today, Asajj.” He called out without turning around.  
  
Of course her words had stung deeply, but this was not the first time she had lashed out at him so harshly, and he knew it would not be the last. Her accusations about his training of Anakin simply cut him to the quick today, though he knew better than to succumb to the dark, angry feelings her comments brought up in him. The small, nagging voice in his head still taunted him, warning danger was near. Wandering aimlessly, listening to those elusive murmurs, but found no useful guidance, he looked up to find he was at the foot of a plateau. Despite the heat of the suns still beating down on him he began the steep climb.  
  
Tendons tightened and released, aching muscles stretched to their limit. Obi-Wan worked his body until thoughts faded away and he entered the realm of visceral, physical movement guided by the Force. By the time he reached the top the suns were setting. The air was slowly growing cooler as Obi-Wan reached into the Force for the warmth it would provide until the sweat had dried from his clothes. He walked to the edge of the cliff and stood for a long time watching the two fiery globes disappear below the horizon.  
  
Asajj stood as still as the stones around her, the fire of anger burning within her as Ben’s back disappeared around the edge of the canyon. She was overheated, sweaty and the blowing sands were beginning to irritate her skin where it stuck to the crevices in her joints. By what right did Ben have to speak to her of anger and patience? He had no idea of their powerful natures. How they squeezed her down into a small thing while at the same time letting her soar within the Force. No, he simply would not understand what that felt like.  
  
When she had enough of standing still, Asajj began to walk. Blinded by the fire within her, she wandered without direction. She came to the foot of a large plateau and began to climb, still seething, until the considerable effort had burned some of her anger off. When she crested the top, there was but a crescent of solar light glaring from the horizon to illuminate Ben as he sat at the far edge, eyes not closed in meditation, but watching the suns. She was not sure what propelled her forward, but for now she was beyond even considering what guided her footsteps as she glided across the rocky surface and sat next to him. Many minutes passed and the moons were rising when he finally spoke.  
  
“You think I do not understand the anger you feel. That I don’t know the power of the Dark side.” His voice was quiet and calm.  
  
“Yes, Ben, that’s right.” She ventured slowly. She had expected another reprimand, not this strangely vague statement.  
  
He corrected her in his warm tenor. “I will tell you now that you are mistaken.”  
  
She looked at him incredulously, her ire rising again. “What does the perfect Jedi know of the Dark side? You don’t expect me to believe you turned?”  
  
“Not turned exactly, no.” he replied, maintaining his cool facade and falling silent for a few moments.  
  
Asajj waited patiently for as long as she could. “What exactly do you mean then?” she finally asked.  
  
Ben sighed and began to speak, his eyes never leaving the horizon.  
  
“Many years ago, when I was still a Padawan, my master and I battled Darth Maul, an earlier apprentice of Darth… of the Emperor. Did you know of him?”  
  
“No, I did not.” This new piece of information succeeded in turning her frustration to intrigue.  
  
“He was powerful with the Force and physically disciplined. He was a tool and an animal and full of nothing but anger.”  
  
“Sounds kind of familiar.” She whispered to herself, sheepishly.  
  
“No, Asajj,” he looked at her, correcting her thought. “This being had no Jedi past, no connection to the Light side of the Force on which to draw from as you do.”  
  
“Continue, please Ben.” She nodded and turned her own eyes toward the rising moons as he moved the story forward.  
  
“The Sith were ready to reveal themselves and Darth Maul was their chosen method. On Naboo, my Master and I fought him together before, in my careless desire to end the conflict quickly, I missed blocking a kick aimed at my head. I was knocked far from my Master and our adversary. Now that we were separated, my Master had to battle that beast on his own. By the time I was able to reach them, Darth Maul had slain my Master. I saw the blade plunge into his chest and all of my vaunted Jedi control leaked away with his lifeblood.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s voice went tight and his volume dropped to a whisper. Asajj noted that, even after all these years, recalling this event caused Ben to clench his jaw as he spoke, but he did not stop the flow of the tale.  
  
“I went after Maul with cold vengeance in my heart. I reached for any aid I could grasp to defeat this enemy and the Dark side was there, waiting for me as it always is. The rush of power was extraordinary and allowed me the strength to slay the beast that killed my Master, but there was a price to pay for my victory. I was left empty and cold and nothing changed the fact that my Master was still dead. The Light side had never abandoned me like the Dark side did, naked and alone. “  
  
The effect of these words on Ben’s countenance was so subtle, none but the most observant would catch it. Asajj was trained to see such things and watched as a shiver ran down his spine despite the warmth that still radiated from the rocks they now rested upon. His chest rose and fell a little more deeply as he took a meditative breath before finishing his account.  
  
“I was knighted the very next day and took Anakin as my Padawan immediately. Things moved very quickly for a little while, but as soon as I was able to get Anakin settled at the Temple I took some time to heal. My little brush with the Dark side took weeks of training and meditation to overcome, but I did do it. That, Asajj, is why I push you so hard. I sense your confusion, I understand what the Dark side has done to you, but I also know that you can overcome that.”  
  
Asajj sat speechless for a few moments, allowing the tale to sink in.  
  
“You said there would be no more lessons for today, Ben.”  
  
“This was not a lesson, Asajj, though if you choose to learn something from it, then may the Force will it so.” Ben stood to begin the journey home, leaving her to her thoughts.  
  
Asajj watched the stars move slowly across the sky. The Force had led her to Ben and, loathe though she was to admit it, she now knew why. 


	5. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 5

  


The sound of hundreds of feet marching in formation echoed across the brightly colored stone courtyard. White plastisteel gleaming, the Stormtroopers displayed the newest models of both armor and weaponry. Hidden from view, a young Bothan stood in a small alcove near the entrance to the former Royal Palace in Theed. It now served as the Imperial Governor’s headquarters on the small planet, its former gleam and beauty tarnished by the large guns and fortifications grafted onto it like crude cybernetic implants.   
  
A life spent in training for this kind of work still did little to prepare young Karka for the edginess he would experience once he was on the job by himself. The responsibility to his clan, especially his mother and uncles, weighed heavily on his mind. The fur on his face ruffled and he put a hand up to smooth it, taking a breath to calm himself in the process. As he did so, he watched the movements of the troops in and out of the Governor’s headquarters. Noting the pristine state of their armor, he counted their numbers and recorded the extent of their firepower. He had seen many outposts throughout the Empire while training under his mother, but none so well fortified as this. Utilizing his photographic memory, a trait inherited by most of the ‘trem Clan, he took copious mental notes. One never knew when that kind of information would come in handy, his mother had taught him well.  
  
Karka mentally ticked off the hours as he waited for his contact’s arrival. The simple task kept his mind focused, though he couldn’t help it when a small grin spread across his lips. He knew that not only had he done well in getting the information he now possessed, but he would also be getting a better price for it than he could have imagined. Though it happened rarely, it was well known throughout the galaxy that the longer you kept a Bothan waiting, the higher the price. This was no small bit of information he carried in his steel trap of a mind, either. It was already worth quite a few credits. Not bad for his first job. His mother would be quite pleased with him. It might even make her smile, something she had not done since his father was killed several years ago.  
  
As he stood waiting, he watched as a solitary dark cloud moved in, blocking the sun from view; a rare occurrence on the sunny planet. Karka learned of such omens as a child at his grandmother’s knee, remembering those tales sent a chill down his spine and he wrapped his cloak more firmly around his shoulders. He looked up at the black cloud, hoping that his contact would arrive soon so that he could go home.  
  
A flutter of dark fabric drew his attention to the entrance of the alcove and, heart leaping into his throat, he gasped as three hooded figures appeared before him, blocking the courtyard from his sight. Enclosed in further darkness, Karka stood motionless, the scent of decay now permeating the space stung at his sensitive nostrils.  
  
“A Bothan, Brother Venictum. Could this be the one we seek?” a chilling voice came from beneath a dark hood.  
  
“Yes, it could be him. Young being, you have information for us?” a similar reply leeched out from another fold of black fabric.  
  
Karka released his breath and, pushing back his nausea, replied with as much strength as he could muster. This was his deal to make or break, after all. “If you have the credits, sirs, I can help you, yes.”  
  
The three men pulled back their hoods in unison revealing their perfectly hairless scalps. The topography of the pale, waxy skin glowed softly in the dim light, disturbed only by large purple veins marking the rivers of blood below the surface.  
  
One of the three stepped closer to the Bothan. “And how much for your little bit of minutiae?”  
  
“This is no little bit of information I have for you, gents, as I’m sure you’ll agree once you’ve heard it.” Pouring his energies into his pitch, Karka’s confidence grew. “I’m sure beings such as yourselves have worked with Bothan Intelligence Brokers before. In which case, you know that the price of information increases the longer we are kept waiting. Keeps us from doing other research, you see. It’s just good business.” He did his best to keep his face neutral as he spoke, but inwardly he brimmed with excitement. “The price is 20,000 credits.”  
  
The Inquisitors shared a preternatural grin that seemed to carve itself into their frozen features.  
  
“Oh, I think that is negotiable, don’t you, young one?” Venictum made eye contact with the young Bothan, his jaundiced, bloodshot eyes holding Karka’s as he waved his hand in a subtle gesture. “You will accept what we pay you.”  
  
The youngster blinked stupidly for a moment. “No. And no mind tricks there, you. Force users, huh? I’ve been trained to block you out of my head, just so you know. What good would I be as a spy if I could be manipulated that easily?”  
  
Equatorum gave his fellows a subtle nod and stepped forward. He moved his hand in front of the Bothan’s face. “You will give us the information.” He intoned.  
  
There was another moment’s hesitation, a little longer this time, and then the young being shook his head to clear it of the more powerful suggestion.  
  
“Sorry gents. You’ll just have to pay me,” he smirked. “There’s no datachip to steal, either. It’s all locked here in my noggin.” If these three didn’t have the credits, he knew others that did and the information was too valuable to risk killing him. He was sure he would get his price.  
  
“Oh, enough of this piddle-paddling around!” the leader grunted and stepped forward. He seemed ready to wave his hand before the Bothan, who grinned defiantly.  
  
The two beings stood staring at each other for a long moment; the young Bothan and the ageless Inquisitor each with an odd smile on his face. A look of concern slowly crept across Karka’s face. Why was he feeling faint all of a sudden? What did this strange being have to smile about anyway? His knees grew weak under him and soon his legs refused to support him any further. A warmth spread down his front and he put his hands to it, then brought them before his face.  
  
The sight of his own blood unhinged him and he began to flail and crawl towards the Inquisitors, grasping for their robes in a desperate appeal for mercy. They slowly edged away from him, step by step. Each movement he made toward them took his only hope for aid further and further out of his reach until finally he moved no more.  
  
“Pick him up, Equatorum,” the leader spoke. “We shall finish this business transaction on the ship.”  
  
Equatorum nodded and lifted the Bothan over his shoulder. They made no effort to hide their presence having notified the Imperial Governor of their arrival several hours earlier. Weaving through the city streets, passing the once beautiful buildings now dull with disrepair, they made their way back to the small transport they had acquired on Terasmina.  
  
Equatorum laid the Bothan on the table in the galley. Three sets of hands deftly stripped Karka’s body of all clothing, carefully placing the few items from his pockets on the counter. This accomplished, Equatorum and Venictum moved to the sides of the cooling corpse, their leader to the head. The furred Bothan’s limbs were arranged neatly and precisely with palms facing upwards and the mouth open. Pale hands now hovered over the body, as if tasting it for some quality.  
  
“Yes,” hissed the leader, his eyes growing bright. “The knowledge we seek is here, we simply must locate it.”  
  
Putting his hands directly onto the body, he took a deep breath. “We will begin here.”  
  
Three vibroblades appeared from the depths of their cloaks and were immediately activated. Equatorum and Venictum watched eagerly as their leader sliced the Bothan’s skull open with surgical precision. Carefully, he removed the top portion of bone and closed his eyes in meditation. Grasping the Force with an iron will, he pulled out a long, red thread of energy and manipulated it into a glowing glove that wrapped around his hand. Reaching inside Karka’s head cavity, he caressed the curves of the warm mass he found within, a look of deep focus etched on his face.  
  
“There is quite a bit here that the Emperor would find most interesting.” He spoke, eyes still closed. “Once we have gotten what we need, we shall transfer the rest to milord back on Coruscant.”  
  
The other two closed their eyes as well and reached through the Force to see through their leaders eyes. Visions of open grassland filled their minds. They traveled swiftly over the terrain to a mountain range. At its edge sat a glimmering, white city, its buildings patterned and built to fit into the surrounding landscape. The picture broke apart suddenly.  
  
“Pah!” he shouted, withdrawing his damp, bony hand. “It is not here. It must be resting further down.” He grimace and waved his had over the body. “This one cared for the Jedi. It will be near his heart.”  
  
Grinning, Venictum bent over and sliced into the body’s chest, clearing muscle and nerve before breaking open the ribcage and exposing the organs within. Steam vented forth in the chilled air of their cabin as Venictum prepared his own Force glove. Repeating his leader’s process, he wrapped his hand around the Bothan’s heart and probed it with his fingers. After a moment he barked out a laugh as he removed his hand and quickly licked a finger clean.  
  
“Milord, they are both on Tatooine.” He ventured back in to poke around a little further. “Oh, how delicious. They are working together.”  
  
“Are they truly?” Equatorum questioned. “Why would they do that?”  
  
“Think, you! What better way to avoid us than to run to the one Force-sensitive least likely to take her in!” the leader smacked Equatorum on the side of his head, producing a large bruise on the overly sensitive skin. “Now that we have the information we need, let us see what else this fine Bothan has discovered in his journeys”  
  
Long into the night, loud cracking sounds reverberated throughout the small space as the Inquisitors thoroughly searched Karka’s copious memory banks. 


	6. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 6

  


  
The song of the planet whispered softly in his ears, nudging him further and further towards wakefulness. The temperature was changing, slowly, subtly as the suns began to crest the horizon and heat the ground below. Rubbing his eyes briefly before stretching along the bed, Obi-Wan breathed in and out deeply. Wisps of cool air filled his lungs with their memory as protection against the daily inferno of Tatooine's sands. He dwelt for a moment in the last, quickly fading dream which slipped so smoothly from his grip. A dream of a happier time when a young man and the boy in his charge laughed and learned together. As the mirage faded into reality, he determinedly pulled back the covers and rose from the bed.   
  
Noting a lingering morning stiffness that had developed over the last few months, Obi-Wan grimaced as he went to the washbasin and scrubbed his face, dampening his hair before using the small mirror to be sure he combed it into proper order. Though not one prone to vainity, only a proclivity towards fastidiousness, Obi-Wan still could not help but notice the increasing numbers of grey hairs sprouting from both beard and temple. Just a few years on the desert planet had also already begun to take its told on his skin. He grinned into the mirror, watching as the crow's feet around his eyes deepened. Not quite Master Yoda wrinkles yet, but he knew he looked as old as Qui-Gon had when he died, though he was not yet fifty. Age, it would seem, was beginning to catch up with him.  
  
Shrugging off the maudlin thoughts, Obi-Wan... no, 'Ben' he reminded himself for the thousandth time, tugged his robes straight. Now awake and ready to face the day, Obi-Wan passed through the thin curtain separating his sleeping quarters from the common living space which housed the cooking equipment, a table, two chairs and a small trunk next to the built in settee. He crossed the small space in a few strides and placed a hand to the curtain hanging along the opposite wall. Pulling it to the side, he stepped in, his eyes moving to the small bed within. Yet there was no one at rest under the covers. The bed was empty and neatly made. Quickly scanning the space, a small bag caught his eye and he released his breath. His guest hadn't slipped out in the night, then. Simply gotten up before him.  
  
Ben closed his eyes and reached for the thin tendril of light connecting them. It was subtle, easily missed by any but the most highly focused Jedi, yet he found it with ease. It had offered him a measure of security when Asajj first arrived and now allowed him to find her quickly and easily when he had need of her attention. At the other end he sensed a peace he had not felt at any time before during her stay.  
  
Weeks had passed since their last major confrontation, up on that high plateau. After that night, Ben watched as Asajj became more focused, more determined, more controlled within the Living Force. Yet she had still battled him each morning, refusing to rise when asked, very much like a grumpy, young Padawan Ben had known a lifetime ago. Intrigued that she should choose to rise on her own and before her teacher, Ben followed the Force-thread back through the little common room and out the door.  
  
The suns were shining brightly just over the horizon, but it would be a blessed few hours before they began to scorch the sands with their unrelenting glare. A lone figure moved in the open space between the doorway and the canyon wall opposite from the entrance. Gracefully moving left to right from a controlled, crouching stance into a long, reaching stretch, the air around Asajj Ventress vibrated strongly with the Living Force. Ben stood there watching her, knowing she felt his arrival, but did not deign to interrupt the momentum she built as she moved from one position to the next. He simply watched, a small smile peeking through the greying beard.  
  
Upon returning to her original stance, beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead. She turned, picking up a cloth to wipe her face and gave Ben a courteous nod.  
  
"Whispering Wind." he spoke first. "Well done."  
  
She nodded again, but did not speak. Her eyes belied the fact that she had not yet returned to the realm of everyday words, everyday events. He moved to her and place a firm hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Asajj, breathe deep and focus here." he watched as clarity returned to her visage.  
  
She looked him in the eye, a single tear formed at the corner, but did not flow. "I.. I.. The Force. I.."  
  
He waited for the words to come and was rewarded for his patience when she continued, "I awoke early this morning and try as I could, I couldn't get back to sleep." She laughed at her feeble attempts to return to the land of dreams hours earlier. "I felt this tugging on my mind. I finally got up and came out here. The sky was purple, shades of lavender, the stars still shone." She sighed, "It was breathtaking."  
  
She paused, but at his nod, continued, "The wind started to blow then. It started as a subtle breeze, then got stronger. I walked to that spot and started Whispering Wind. I know you showed me it weeks ago, but when I started I remembered it from my youth. My Master taught me that kata ages ago, but it came back so easily."  
  
She hugged her arms around herself and looked out into the distance. He moved up next to her and shared the view, crossing his own arms in front of him. "You've made some changes to it. There were movements in there I've not seen before. Your own interpretations?"  
  
She turned to look at him. The tone in his question told her he knew the answer before she spoke it, yet he was so subtle it could be overlooked and the query simply taken at face value. She regarded the master negotiator and experienced teacher with an amused shake of her head for a moment longer before she went on. 'If things had been different...' she thought before pushing the negativity aside and responding.  
  
"Yes, Master Jedi, they are." Returning her gaze to the horizon she let loose some of the focus she had just regained. It was the only way she could connect to the feelings she had experienced during her meditation. "I moved into one position or another as I always did, but with each move I could feel a tug, almost like a rope, on my mind. It wouldn't let up until I followed its suggestion." She grinned. "As I did, it led me into a stance that felt like it was made just for me.  
  
"Any idea where all of that came from?" he questioned, returning the smile with his own, knowing grin.  
  
"Yes," she sighed. "The Living Force. It was so simple. I let it lead me and it all just felt right."  
  
"You have done well, young one." He put a hand on her shoulder in congratulations. "Come, let us eat now and let the suns have their way with things."  
  
She caught his slip of the tongue, but held her own, listening to that new inner voice she was slowly beginning to trust.  
  
They slowly were developing a routine with mealtimes. Ben prepared dinners, lunch was al la carte as each felt the need and Asajj set out breakfast, her early morning hunger moving her to action when Ben's unhurried methods left her stomach growling louder than a gundark's. She reflected that variety was unfortunately not the slice of life on backwater Tatooine as she pulled out the whole grain bread, dried fruits and cheese that was their morning repast each day for the last week. Ben poked through the larders before sitting down, allowing Asajj room to maneuver in the cramped space.  
  
"We should probably take a run into Mos Eisley in the next few days," he told her as she pulled out the cups and plates. "I admit even I am getting a bit tired of bread and fruit every morning."  
  
Asajj had just placed the container of bantha butter on the table when she felt a sudden, heavy weight pressing on her chest, constricting her lungs. Looking up at Ben, she saw his eyes grow wide. He stood in a flash of movement, his chair flying back from the table.  
  
"Ben?" she wheezed out. They both took a deep breath as if they had stayed under water for too long and were only now emerging. "What in the Hells was that?"  
  
"A disturbance in the Force." His agitation was barely concealed in Jedi calm. "There is something Dark at work here. We must find out who or what it is."

  



	7. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 7

  


  
Two beings stood in a sheltered doorway speaking in quick, whispered tones. Their eyestalks rotated in all directions as they kept their heads close together in an effort to maintain some privacy. A small package passed discreetly from one to the other before they separated, walking in opposite directions as they quickly blended into the ragtag crowd on the streets. A few blocks away a well dressed landlord was screaming at a haggard constable, outraged to find that not only did the police have no clue who could have gutted his speeder with such efficiency, but that they also had no hope of tracking the beings responsible. He took out his frustrations the only way he could, kicking and pounding on the hulk of scrap metal that once was his high priced, imported vehicle as it sat upon earthen blocks.   
  
Mos Espa spaceport. A less wretched hive of scum and villainy than its larger counterpart, Mos Eisley, it nonetheless held enough danger to encompass a multitude of sins for those who went looking for it. As such, few took notice of the three Inquisitors as they made their way through the streets. Although their hoods were up, they expended little other energy toward stealth and were unusually rewarded for their lack of effort. A dark cloaked figure was the ultimate cliche in this part of the galaxy. It was more a calling card than a method of deception, a fact clearly proved as the three agents were openly approached by a small, wiry Dug.  
  
"Chuba pul mulia?" he asked. "Chuba naga hatun mulira?"  
  
"No, we are quite well employed." replied the nearest Inquisitor, roughly brushing the Dug aside.  
  
"A gula, Utman. Oto enki ura." came the grumbled answer as the Dug looked about for the next possible taker.  
  
Despite the disinterest of the crowd, the three searched quite some time before finding a quiet corner they found suitable to their needs. As the leader pulled out a brand new interspace communicator, his brothers pulled close to the shining unit's scanning camera. It's type was rarely seen outside the Core, outfitted as it was with the most advanced encryption possible, high quality holographic scanning capabilities and transmitting on its own, proprietary, secured channel.  
  
Taking a final look around before turning the unit on, the lead Inquisitor watched as the form of the Emperor, Lord Palapatine the First, flickered into view. Placing the unit onto the sandy ground, the three men knelt before it's cybernetic eye. All three cringed beneath their hoods as they felt the probing of cold fingers along each of the scars on their faces. Though the source of this chill was lightyears away, the scars made by his own hand allowed the Emperor to keep these men, powerful forces in their own right, under his manipulative thumb.  
  
As the weight lifted from their heads the Inquisitors looked up at the man who once was considered a catch by many a widowed senator's wife. Now sitting shriveled and hooded in his darkened throne room, the light from the scanning unit gathering his image provided the only light, reflecting weakly off of his ashen pallor. The viperous voice that addressed them from the comm unit gave no quarter to slow reply.  
  
"If you are taking the effort to use that pricey little gadget, I would hope that this means you have important news for me, my friends." He spat in a raspy tone. His throat gave clear evidence of its ravage long ago by the power of the Force.  
  
All three hooded heads bowed deferentially and hissed in unison as if entranced by their master's words, "Yes, milord."  
  
"Well, Kalmastrum, I am waiting." The irritation in the Emperor's voice was palpable, waves of power rippling out to his minions on the far away planet as they pulled back from his verbal strike.  
  
Kalmastrum's head wove about in recoil as he stated his information plainly, without his usual circumlocution, "It would seem that Asajj Ventress has decided to hide herself on Tatooine."  
  
The Emperor flicked an idle hand in their direction as if batting a fly. He spoke to them as one speaks to small children, but the power behind the words carried more weight than simple condescension. "Good, then you have found her. Turn her fully or dispatch her. That was Lord Vader's assignment to you, was it not?"  
  
Now Kalmastrum hesitated between his instinct to run and his desire for power; the reactions of the Emperor were so unpredictable. If only he could read the man's entrails, dealing with his authority would be so much more palatable. "Yes, milord. It was, but we are not sure if it would conflict with your mission to us."  
  
"There is more news? Out with it." the Emperor spit out his words as one kept waiting for a great many things for much too long. "I have not the time to bandy words about like a witless nerf. And I dislike being kept in the dark, Kalmastrum, you know this."  
  
Fear, the all powerful motivator, finally reached the part of the Inquisitor that desired survival above all else and he replied quickly, "The one you seek is here as well, my Lord Emperor. He is helping her to hide. We believe he may even be training her."  
  
"Training her? Interesting." Palpatine sat back into his large, black chair, folding his hands together as he did so. Equatorum thought the Galaxy's leader reminded him of nothing more than a sand viper preparing to strike. "Master Kenobi thinks to make her an ally. He tries to keep that traitor on the side of the Jedi." The wrinkled form smiled a darkly confident grin. "He does not realize that all hope is lost. Their little alliance will do neither of them any good." A small chuckle erupted from the Emperor's throat. "Kenobi thinks to take another student. He is a fool. Ventress shall return to the Sith as surely as Lord Vader did. It is only a matter of time."  
  
"What are your orders, milord? Do we try to separate them?" Venictum pleaded for direction, chagrined at having to bow to the Emperor's greater knowledge.  
  
Palpatine paused for a moment, closing his eyes and searching the Force for the information he sought, twisting and turning his connection until the path was revealed. "Oh, no, I think not. You would do well to take them both together." The sly look of confidence returned to the ashen visage. "I sense the weakness in their little bond. Exploit it and you shall achieve success in your assignment."  
  
Kalmastrum nodded his acceptance and replied, sure his attempt to gain control over the conversation would be successful. "Yes, milord. It shall be done. We begin our hunt after dusk."  
  
Waving his hand at them, the Emperor casually broke the Inquisitor's confidence back down under his control. "Do not waste your energy, my Inquisitors. Stay where you are."  
  
A barely perceptible look passed between the three beings before Kalmastrum sought his confirmation. "I do not see your meaning, milord. Are we not to find the two Force-sensitives and destroy them?"  
  
"Of course you will, you fool. Must I explain such an obvious thing to you?" An incredulous tone now iced the Emperors words. "It appears I must." he continued with false resignation, reveling in his own power to see what they had not. "Do you think that Kenobi is sitting there in his little hut with his cloak pulled over his senses like a frightened child?" a small bark of laughter erupted from beneath the dark hood. "While he may be an insolent Jedi traitor, he is not brainless. He sensed you landing as a stormcrow before a hurricane. He will come to confront you as surely as the suns rise on that little dustball of a planet. Find an advantegous position and wait for him."  
  
With a quiet anger and resentment at his own lack of foresight, Kalmastrum replied with all the dignity he could muster. "We shall do as you wish, Lord Palapatine. The two Light side fugitives shall be turned or perish."  
  
The Emperor smiled, brash presumtion beaming from his face. "Good. Good. And remember Kalmastrum, and you, too, my Inquisitors, that the prize you seek is at the end of this task."  
  
"Thank you, milord." the three intoned the response, kneeling once again as the image of the throne room flickered and died.  
  
"Let us go and prepare ourselves, my brothers." Kalmastrum turned to his companions as he unconsiously rubbed his forehead to free his thoughts. "There are Jedi to break and a fortress to claim at the end of all this."  
  
The had taken but a step when Venictum put out his hands to stop them. Spotting the Dug once more, they watched him with idle curiosity. Now visibly more desperate in his search for takers for whatever deed he had brewing, he approached yet another hooded being. After a moment, the two disappeared into an alley across the street. The sound of a blaster discharge echoed back to Kalmastrum and he watched with renewed interest as the figure came back out, stopping to hastily count the credits balled in his fist. The Dug never reappeared.  
  
The Inquisitors looked at each other, sharing emaciated grins. They flowed in unison through the throng of beings and into the alleyway across the street. Hours would pass before they resurfaced from their explorations, finally having recovered their confidence and dignity despite the odd smells now eminating from their robes.

  



	8. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 8

  


  
Two identical suns burnt down upon the glittering sands of the Dune Sea. The intense heat that reflected off the planet's surface caused rippling currents in the air, distorting the light as it hit a small speeder racing across the sands. The craft was weather-beaten; the abrasive sandstorms that whipped across the planet scrubbed the paint from its surface, revealing the gleaming metal beneath. The open cockpit left the hot wind to blast the two occupants who sat in silence, eyes trained on the horizon and minds focused on a growing anxiety that weighed on their minds. They searched for the source of the Darkness that arrived earlier that morning, packing a visceral punch before its source settled somewhere in the distance.   
  
"Mos Espa," Obi-Wan finally spoke. "It must be. The nearer we get to Mos Eisley, the further away the presence seems to get."  
  
His passenger said nothing, but nodded in agreement as he turned the craft, heading in the direction of Tatooine's second largest port.  
  
They left Obi-Wan's home but an hour before, yet in that short time there had been a measurable change in Asajj's demeanor. The quiet peace she finally grasped during that morning's meditation was shattered by the sudden disturbance in the Force they felt soon afterward. She had not spoken since then and though she went along with Obi-Wan's plans, she did so with a stony expression. She was not rooted in the here and now, but lost in the morass of her own mind.  
  
As Asajj looked out at the desolate plain, she thought it might be better for the sands to open up and swallow her whole. The Dark disturbance disrupted her concentration and she felt more and more hopeless with each passing moment. The Light side may be as equally powerful as the Dark side, but it was the Dark side that slipped so easily into her mind, feeding on her fears like a parasite. And she had fear to spare. Ben did not know what he was about to face, but she did. She escaped from them enough times to understand how relentless they were. Unbidden, a vision of three white faces, with eyes red and bloodshot, assaulted her mind and she felt the last bits of her hope slipping away. She could not make the words come to her lips to warn her companion of what she knew. The sanctuary she thought she achieved was revealed as the illusion it had always been and she felt the Force open up in a billion strands of possibility. Her future was more uncertain than ever before and it was here that her fear coalesced into a tactile incubus that fought to take hold over her being.  
  
Obi-Wan looked to his passenger. He could sense her fear without even accessing their bond. The tension filled her completely, emanating from her in pulsing waves and he was greatly worried that her resolve was slipping. There was no telling how she would react when they finally faced whatever Dark forces they tracked across the sands. He simply must trust the training he had provided and give her what assistance he could. He sent a wave of reassuring energy to her, bolstering her shields as best he could from the outside. She turned and looked at him in response to the gift, a weak smile on her face, and he felt the fear slip tenuously back under her control.  
  
Reassured for the moment, Obi-Wan's thoughts turned to the task at hand. He wondered what in the Force had brought such powerful Dark siders to Tatooine. There had to be more than one being as he knew of no one, save Anakin and the Emperor, who was that powerful. He knew little of the minions the Emperor now utilized to control the vast galaxy under his command. The cloud of the Dark side that steadily grew throughout his lifetime became an impenetrable eclipse when the Order had fallen. Now only a few strands of Light shone through the Force, allowing Obi-Wan the small flame of Light he protected in hopes it may one day be fanned back into a bonfire of peace and hope for the galaxy.  
  
When the Dark siders first arrived, he thought they were seeking something, but now the energy was stagnant, an immobile, rotting thing that sat like a black hole in the mists of the Force. They seemed to be waiting for something. It was with this thought that the events of the last few months became a crystalline weight which he turned over in his mind. Asajj's arrival and desperate request for sanctuary, her struggles and now her palpable fear all added up, equaling the situation they now faced. She knew she was being hunted and she led her predators here, hoping that Obi-Wan's strength would be enough to protect her from whatever now lay in wait in Mos Espa.  
  
"You knew they would come." he said it, not as a question, but as fact.  
  
Asajj said nothing, but continued to stare at the horizon.  
  
Ben repeated himself. "You knew they would come and, knowing my position, still you came to me, came here."  
  
He allowed a carefully controlled amount of anger to leak through their bond and she turned to look at him. Knowing now what happened the last time Obi-Wan Kenobi had unleashed that anger, she was nervous that no excuse she made would be enough. She spoke the truth to him, realizing there was little chance that a lie would lessen his tension.  
  
"I was desperate. I had run out of other options. You were my only hope." she looked down at her hands. "You still are."  
  
Ben let the conversation drop. His frustration with her selfish choices would do nothing to aid them now. He reached into the Force, searching for guidance and was not surprised to find a very narrow view of the future presented to him. The coming confrontation was inevitable, or nearly so. For him, it was one of those moments when the shifting threads of the Force coalesced into a single strand. There may have been other options available to them, but they would only delay the coming battle. Beyond that, the future opened up again and he could only see endless possibilities. Having learned long ago not to dwell on the potential outcomes of such vague likelihoods, he brought his attention back to the present and pressed on towards Mos Espa.  
  
All seemed normal when they arrived at the spaceport. Beings from every corner of the galaxy bartered, bought, gambled and argued as if it were any other day. The marketplace was bustling with foot traffic as well as speeders, gravsleds and droids that swerved amongst the clay buildings. After finding a secure place to park the speeder, Ben and Asajj began their search on foot. They walked side by side, their eyes shifting toward every alley, senses reaching out to the Force for clues to their adversaries’ whereabouts.  
  
After wandering for most of the morning without any sign of the beings they tracked, Asajj turned a corner and felt the energy shift. Recognizing the Force signatures of the Inquisitors she pointed in the direction of the outskirts and signaled that Ben should follow her. She looked at him when she felt two cold shafts of metal under her fingers.  
  
"You will need these," he answered the unasked question. "Perhaps when this is over we should see about making you your own."  
  
"I would like that," was all she could say as she fingered the smooth switches that would ignite the blades of two long dead Jedi.  
  
They were near the edge of town when Ben suddenly stopped her in the street and turned her toward him. His eyes had grown icy and he locked his gaze with hers. "There is more at stake here than you can possibly know. Do not fail me.” Without waiting for her reaction, he turned and continued up the street. She took a deep breath to calm herself and followed him.  
  
The crowd was sparser here and the empty buildings more plentiful. The subtle pulse of the Dark side had gradually increased during the journey until it thundered in their ears. The suns were high in the sky now and the heat at its zenith. A few of the town's inhabitants closed their shutters as the two approached. A woman came scurrying towards them, numerous children in tow. She briefly met Asajj's gaze and the warrior caught the look of terror in the mother's eyes. A few more of the townsfolk came from the same direction, nervous looks on their faces.  
  
Asajj indicated that they should head upstream from the fleeing residents and with a silent nod, Obi-Wan followed her. The distinctive odor of decaying flesh reached his nostrils as they made their way up the deserted street, growing stronger as they walked.  
  
In preparation for the coming confrontation, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, releasing his frustration with Asajj and opening himself up to the Light side of the Force. It’s brilliant energy dimmed the suns as it filled him, giving him the focus needed to face his enemies with calm confidence.  
  
Asajj did her best to follow Ben’s example, but her energy was too scattered to allow the Force such freedom to guide her movements or decisions. The realization was more disappointing than she could have imagined. She knew she was letting all of Ben's efforts and all of her hard work go to waste. She stopped in the middle of the street and closed her eyes, grasping for bits of Light even as they slipped more quickly through her fingers. Then she felt a hand grasp her shoulder and a wave of positive energy flooded through her mind. It was bright and clear, everything she was trying to tap into and it was right there before her. Was this what it felt like to be Obi-Wan Kenobi?  
  
Now able to focus more clearly, she easily detected the presence of the Inquisitors nearby. They exuded confidence and, as predicted, were well prepared for the duo’s arrival.  
  
She whispered to Ben, “It’s a trap.”  
  
“Yes. It is that." he said, releasing his grip on her shoulder, "I’m not surprised. My style of engagement is public knowledge.”  
  
“And your plan then, Ben?” she hissed to him, her nerves wresting from her control once again and allowing her old sarcasm to return.  
  
With a slight twinge of the old wound that still worried at his heart he replied, “Why, spring the trap, of course.”  
  
They both had their saber hilts in their hands as they turned a corner into a small courtyard. Three figures stood in the shade of one of the walls fencing in the tight space. A wooden gate slammed shut behind Asajj and she gave a barely perceptible jump. The air was still, a heavy presence of its own that pressed down upon the gathered company. A bead of sweat ran down Asajj's back and once it was free, others followed it as she felt more forming on her forehead. She looked to Ben who remained as cool and calm as ever, the only indication of any emotion in a slight tension visible along his jawline.  
  
Kalmastrum stepped forward into the sun, his brothers forming up behind him so they appeared as one large, black mass in defiance of the light. Their dark robes seemed to take up more space than their physical presence represented. It was as if a cloud of the Dark side became manifest around them, obscuring them from the light of the suns. They pulled back their hoods in unison, smiling as Asajj's eyes went the slightest bit wide. Obi-Wan gave no indication of shock or fear and it was his reaction that caused the ubiquitous grins to finally leech from their faces.  
  
With both sides stalemated in their intimidation of one another, the lead Inquisitor raised his open hand and spoke. “Ah, beings of Light, or should I say, being of Light and being of Grey?” he greeted them and then sighed. “It would make little difference what I call you, except that our dear Grey One here has a choice to make that will effect many things, now doesn’t she?”  


  



	9. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 9

  


In the center of a wattle and daub courtyard, a small cricket leapt its way toward the shadows at the edge. Trying to escape the blistering suns that beat down upon the ground, the distance the insect traveled grew shorter with each leap as fatigue set in. It stopped a few feet from the edge, sitting just long enough to prepare for a final jump into the cool shade. With relief in sight, the cricket primed its powerful legs and launched itself into the air. An inch off the ground, all hope was lost as a dark soled foot slammed down from above, accompanied by the crunching of a chitin shell.   
  
Pale faces hidden from the burning sun, the Inquisitors coiled together, edging toward the shadows as if simple proximity would protect them from the fierce heat. Yet even this discomfort did not prevent them from maintaining an air of superiority as they faced an outnumbered, exiled Jedi Master and his current student.  
  
“You think it will be difficult for us to capture you.” Kalmastrum’s smile returned, reaching into the Force to probe both Obi-Wan and his protégé.  
  
“Even this one,” he pointed a bony, white finger at Asajj, “fearing it and desiring it as she does, still remains ignorant of the deep pools of power the Dark side offers to its loyal servants.”  
  
Obi-Wan said nothing in response; his jaw simply clenched a little tighter and he risked a sideways glance at Asajj. She was sweating and had developed a clammy pallor in the few minutes his attentions were otherwise occupied. He reached out a small tendril through the Force, receiving a lash of turmoil back and decided to wait a while before trying such an experiment again. He could not afford the discouragement that would bring right now. Instead, he ignited his lightsaber, hoping a show of confidence would draw his companion into action.  
  
There was a spark of hope when Asajj ignited both her sabers. He sent a plea into the Force, reaching for the two Jedi who crafted those blades years ago that they might lend her their strength for the fight ahead. The Inquisitors chuckled;a look of unbridled mirth infecting their faces.  
  
“Ah yes, the venerable lightsaber, civilized weapon of the mighty Jedi. I must say it is not a surprising sight, especially yours, Master Kenobi.” Venictum slurred the name with a venomous condescension.  
  
Obi-Wan gave a curt nod and assumed a defensive stance. Asajj followed his lead and he allowed himself a small sense of relief that, despite her deceptions, she seemed stalwart enough to remain by his side.  
  
Yet deep within her, Asajj Ventress quavered. She was a great warrior, had been a force of authority on her lawless homeworld and fought valiantly on the side of the Separatists, even facing Anakin Skywalker in battle and surviving. However, none of this prepared her for the evil that leeched from the beings before her. She stood there, waiting for their polite façade to drop and their true selves to surface. Only then would Ben understand, he would know why she was running. It was the only hope for survival against these demons.  
  
The Inquisitors smiled and opened their robes. Obi-Wan expected them to drop the billowing fabric to the ground before drawing sabers of their own and was surprised by the vision now facing him. No, these were no Sith, and now Obi-Wan wondered exactly how they were to defeat such creatures.  
  
There was nothing beneath the robes, or if there was it was mired in such a darkness that even the binary stars of Tatooine could not penetrate it.  
  
With the enemy looking on, the Inquisitors reached into that darkness, grabbing it and grimacing as they pulled out threads of black mist. Gathering these bits of their own being together, the mist quickly coalesced into black whips of pure Dark side energy.  
  
Never before had Ben witnessed the Force used in such a way. Asajj caught the slightest flicker of shock on his face before it was buried back under the impenetrable mask of Jedi calm. How could he not be afraid? Was the Light side so powerful one could abolish fear even in the face of this menace?  
  
Considering his options, Obi-Wan ran through old memories. He had faced a whip wielding adversary once before, but he was a Padawan at the time and he had not fared well against the unusual weapon. Ona Nobis had nearly killed him each time they faced off and it took Master Gallia's formidable skills to finally defeat the bounty hunter, slicing through the energy whip before the woman fell to her death.  
  
Unfortunately, these were not simple energy whips, there were no hilts to slice through or currents to disrupt. Deciding to discover the whip's capabilities before staging an attack, Obi-Wan settled deeper into his stance and awaited their first move.  
  
His wait was short. A moment later the largest of the three flicked the weapon at him from across the courtyard.  
  
Dodging the snapping end of the whip, Obi-Wan caught a whiff of rotting stench. Before he moved completely out of range, another whip flew at his head, whistling in his ear as it sang past.  
  
Pulling for the Force from any source he lay hold to, Obi-Wan flung a pulse of energy at them and dove to his right. After ducking into a roll, he was back to a standing position in a heartbeat. He checked to see that Asajj was holding her own. She, too, was dodging the unknown quality of the whips.  
  
Knowing they could only avoid contact for a short while, the next time a black snake of energy came his way he took a different tactic. Allowing it to wrap around his lightsaber, he let it pull him closer to the Inquisitors before using the momentum to pull back with a satisfying rip.  
  
The Inquisitor shrieked as if a limb was severed from his body. Taking a step toward Obi-Wan, he reached again into the darkness of his robe and pulled out more of the black mist.  
  
Asajj heard the scream and was stunned to find that it was not Ben, but the Inquisitor that cried out. Taking heart from her mentor’s success, she attempted to sever the whips repeatedly sent singing her way.  
  
She swung both lightsabers in a rapid changing pattern of light. The hilts felt good in her hands and as the Inquisitors stepped back she felt the first glimmer of hope that they might survive this encounter.  
  
Obi-Wan started to move toward Asajj’s side but was stopped by an explosion at his feet. Turning to face the Inquisitors, he looked up in time to see a hard, black ball heading his way. He leaped back a few paces to avoid the explosion, watching as the whipless Inquisitor gathered more mist together and compressed it into a ball before flinging it at him.  
  
Cringing as one of the whips snapped against her shoulder, Asajj went into a crouch before attempting to leap up onto the wall at her back. As she did so, the two Inquisitors each pulled out a second whip, quickly pinning her in place with their barrage.  
  
With a low growl, Asajj flung an unfocused wall of Force energy at them, which they deflected with a chuckle, barley slowing their attack.  
  
The tension in her shoulders tightened as she searched for a way to gain the advantage. She could only wonder how Obi-Wan remained so completely cool and collected. The few times she spared a glance at him, he looked like he was dancing through the fray instead of pushing every muscle to its limit, as she knew he was doing.  
  
In the split second she lost her focus to strategy, the Inquisitors plied their advantage. Two of the whips came at her, wrapping around her hands and up her forearms. She screamed as they dug into her flesh, the Darkness burning into her with needle sharp accuracy.  
  
As her hands flexed open involuntarily, the other two whips flew in to grab her weapons. She managed to kick one out of the way before it was captured. The other was flung at the wall with such force that it shattered on impact, the sound catching Obi-Wan’s attention. All in the courtyard registered the look of heartbreak that passed over his face before he flew back into action, pressing toward the Inquisitor now within his sights.  
  
Knowing there was nothing she could do to retrieve the weapons, Asajj focused on the task of disengaging herself from the whips still digging into her arms. She was utterly defenseless when the second set of singing blackness came at her, wrapping around her ankles before she was thrown against the left side wall with a power that took her breath away.  
  
The whips slackened slightly and she thought to take advantage of the moment when they tightened again. She soon was flying through the air toward the other wall. The Force was there to catch her, but she could not focus in time to access it. Instinctually, she wrenched her mind toward it, trying to force it to cushion her fall and it rejected her coercion.  
  
She hit the wall with an impact that crumbled the plaster coating, revealing a glimpse of the hard packed mud beneath before she crumpled in a heap on the ground.  
  
Obi-Wan felt the entire altercation through the Force and grimaced as Asajj’s body made impact. He was on his own now and still needed a better strategy than dodge and slice. Yet, he did not even know if his lightsaber could penetrate these beings if he was able to get close enough to make physical contact.  
  
Reaching deeper into the Force, Obi-Wan prepared himself for a long stalemate ahead. Switching back to mostly defensive moves, he slowed his breathing to reserve his strength. Allowing the Force to guide his movements, he would bide his time until a hole in the Inquisitor's defence presented itself.  
  
Once she came around, Asajj watched the melee in silence, unable to mutter a word had she wished to do so. The three black-clad beings dripped with a power she had not encountered since she was training with Count Dooku and even he had not wielded this kind of power. The Inquisitors had never once belonged to the side of the Light, where beings enjoyed the camaraderie and comfort of those who worked to better the galaxy for all. No, theirs was a web of fragile alliances, and the search for greater power; the world of hunter and hunted.  
  
The control they possessed was awe-inspiring in its purity, a power unleashed like none she had ever witnessed. She knew in her heart there would be no fighting them when they turned their attention toward her. And she had come much too far to allow herself to be destroyed. A bitter bile rose in her throat as she climbed to her feet.  
  
With a guttural howl she threw herself at the combatants, flinging all of her gathered anger and hatred for her situation at the only obstacle in her path to freedom.  
  
Focused on the Inquisitors, Obi-Wan trusted Asajj to stay out of the fray while he battled them in the tight courtyard. When the shockwave of Dark side energy knocked him from his feet, his first thought was that another Inquisitor had cloaked itself from his detection. As he lay on the ground trying to regain control of his senses, he heard a cackling from the three beings above him and his heart sank. He reached for the tendril so tentatively connecting he and Asajj.  
  
A hot, sizzling needle shot through his mind as she severed the bond and through the pain, he heard her slump to the ground behind him.  
  
With victory no longer a possibility, Obi-Wan began to plan his escape. Unsure whether he would be able to stand, he prepared to roll out of reach, gathering the Force around him to increase the distance. He took a quick breath, but before he even cleared his mind there was an explosion of pain in the back of his head and then a quiet darkness as his consciousness slipped away with the mist. 


	10. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 10

  


  
Heat. It scorched the planet like a magnifying glass over an insect, crisping the surface with a crust of blistering sand. It was unwise for any but the most hardy native species to be exposed to the noontime suns, yet in a small, bare courtyard, one woman was on her knees, hands to her head as she felt the suns burning her pale skin.   
  
Her head was throbbing and her breath was ragged. Rough hands grabbed her, dragging her to her feet. When Asajj tried to look up, the suns blinded her, preventing her from seeing who had hold of her shoulders. Disoriented, she did not fight the tight grip as she took to her feet.  
  
"We are most pleased you have come to your senses, Asajj Ventress." An oil slick of a voice spoke her name and she shivered. "It would be a pity to see such a powerful Force user sacrifice her potential."  
  
Asajj's head slowly cleared as the anger at her predicament blossomed anew within her. The Dark energy swirled around her and she grabbed onto it like alife raft in the midst of a vast sea. She fed it her pain and the power rushed through her, cleansing her mind of confusion.  
  
"Yes, good. You are truly gifted in the ways of the Dark side, my dear." Kalmastrum told her. "It is for this that the Emperor is willing to forgive your littleindiscretions. You will aid us with those gifts and in exchange you shall live."  
  
"It would seem I have no other choice." she hissed back, shrugging off the Inquisitor's grip.  
  
"Yes, that is true." he replied. "Now that you have betrayed Master Kenobi here, you will no longer find harbor among the Light side users of the Force." Kalmastrum's face twisted into a sneer as he kicked out at the still form of Obi-Wan Kenobi, laying on the ground at his feet.  
  
Asajj smiled at the action. "Do you know how many mornings I longed to do that?"  
  
Venictum laughed, overhearing the comment. "Well, there will be ample opportunity for you to do that and more when you return with us to Prakith."  
  
She looked at him questioningly and he answered her unspoken query.  
  
"We have a stronghold there." the grin on his face was chilling as he spoke of the fortress. "Master Kenobi's capture and your alliance ensure that we will be given control of thefacility. I believe you will find it much to your satisfaction."  
  
Asajj was silent for a moment, watching as Equatorum moved toward Obi-Wan. He leaned down and snapped a metallic device around the Jedi's neck. Reaching out, she could no longer sense him in the Force and she turned toward Kalmastrum.  
  
"And what do you do at this stronghold?"  
  
"There are still some powerful Force users walking free among the people. As they are rightfully captured they are brought to the Citadel to be," he shrugged his shoulders "neutralized."  
  
Asajj nodded her head and said nothing further, letting thoughts run unhindered through her mind. She followed as the Inquisitors lifted Kenobi, his head hanging limply, and carried him to a gravsled just outside the courtyard.  
  
Sitting jammed next to his unconscious body, a flash of memory pierced her brain. Months ago when she arrived on Tatooine, she told Kenobi she sought to destroy Dark side enemies. Now she was the very thing she had wished to overcome. And here she was playing right back into Palpatine's plans. She was heading back into that realm of deceit and foul play and, once again, she was doing it by choice. This would be the last time she would be allowed to make such a decision. The Emperor's fingers were digging into every facet of his subjects lives, his web of power growing wider with each passing day. There would soon be no where to run if she changed her mind.  
  
At least with Kenobi she had the free will to make her choices without the threat of torture and death. There was no facade of generosity to him either; she could take him and his gifts at face value. He had his secrets, that was sure enough. She suspected he had much to do with Skywalker being in that suit though he said nothing of it, but he had never deceived her when she asked a pointed question of him. She realized that path was closed to her now; she had allowed her fear to control her actions.  
  
Just like those who followed the Light side, a true disciple of the Dark side did not give in to fear. Hatred and anger, those were their tools, their fuel. There was no other way of keeping such power. To those willing to play the game, the rewards wereimmeasurable, but she now wondered at what cost were they reaped? What price would Kenobi and the rest of the galaxy pay for her fears?  
  
Asajj had heard rumor of Prakith and its Citadel, but knew little of what actually happened there as, officially, the compound didn't exist. Stories circulated that screams from within the black fortress were heard for miles around yet none ever escaped the Citadel alive to give their account. Some said that the Emperor searched for information on potential uprisings, others said he hoped to punish all the Jedi for their attempted coup and tales even flew about a horrid method of removing the very midichlorians from a being's body.  
  
The Order's strong-willed adherents were not easy to break and hope was ever their ally. Knowing the Inquisitors as she did, Asajj had no doubt that whatever was going on there, this Dark brotherhood prolonged the process simply out of hatred and for their own pleasure.  
  
The gravsled came to a halt, bringing Ventress out of her ruminations to find she was shivering, despite the heat. She hopped off and moved to pull Kenobi off the sled. A robed arm blocked her.  
  
"Equatorum will attend to that." Kalmastrum stood next to her, a look of disgust on his face. "We may get on board."  
  
Mechanically, she nodded her head and followed the Inquisitor onto the small ship. Once all were settled the craft lifted off and they were soon exiting Tattooine's gravity well.  
  
Soon after they entered hyperspace Venictum rose from his seat. With a nod from his leader, he turned to Asajj.  
  
"Come Asajj Ventress, I will show you to a place where you may rest. The Emperor wishes you to be at your best when we send you to Coruscant."  
  
She rose and complied silently. When they reached the end of the short corridor, Venictum palmed open a door before facing his charge. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out two cylinders and passed them to her.  
  
"We shall have to see about getting you some more suitable weaponry." he said with a grimace.  
  
She nodded, taking the offered hilts before slinking through the doorway.  
  
The space was small, no larger than the space she occupied at Kenobi's yet where on Tattooine the earthen walls and wooden furnishings gave the place a sense of warmth, here the grey metal was harsh and cold. There was a small glow lamp on the table next to the bunk, but no desert bloom graced the surface.  
  
It was here that Ventress placed the lightsaber hilts before sitting on the bunk to meditate. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as images began flashing through her mind. The sunrise over the Dune Sea, Kenobi battling the Inquisitors with flowing grace, Dooku's stoic gaze as he watched her fight for his attention, Ky Narec's warm smile as she finished a particularly difficult kata. At the last, she opened her eyes and blinking to clear the vision, looked around the room. Realizing a peaceful meditation was not to be hers, her eyes fell upon the lightsabers. Lifting the two hilts, she tested their heft in her hand.  
  
One was Kenobi's, its hilt sleek and well designed. She knew if she were to press the activation button, a glowing azure blade would ignite from the crystal within, strong and unwavering like the man who carried it. Placing this blade back down she turned her full attention to the other hilt.  
  
It was slightly larger than Kenobi's, meant for a larger man. She had used it and the purple blade, now destroyed, when she and Ben had sparred. The green blade this hilt produced crackled with a special kind of light and Ventress once again wondered who it belonged to before it came into Ben's hands.  
  
_'Ben's?'_ she thought. _'No, not Ben, not anymore. Kenobi.'_ The man who she once called Ben was as good as dead to her.  
  
"But you could save him, if you wished." The rumbling, leonine tone was not that of her usual inner voice and she quickly looked around the room for an intruder.  
  
"There are larger forces at work here than you, young one."  
  
Again, Ventress looked around the room. The Inquisitors surely did not speak in such warm endearments. Placing the hilt down next to its companion, she folded herself up in a tight ball and closed her eyes.  
  
Her thoughts drifted through the Force, each moment pulling her further into the past until she stood once more before Master Narec. He looked just as sheremembered him, tall and handsome, with a scar running down the length of his face from the accident that landed him on her planet. He spoke to her much as he had then.  
  
"You are a Padawan in a long line of powerful Jedi, young one." He gave her a broad smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If one day the Jedi do come here to find me, I want you to remember this one thing. None shall hold sway over your choices. Do not let fear lead your actions, do not listen to what some may tell you is the will of the Force. Reach out for it yourself and find what it has to tell you. If you are able, locate a Jedi named Qui-Gon Jinn. He follows the same path as I and will be able to help you."  
  
"But Master, who would try to do such things? Don't all Jedi listen to the Force for themselves?" she remembered the softer tones her voice produced then, before long years of battle cry hardened it into the hiss she now wielded with acidity.  
  
"Each listens to the Force in their own way, Asajj, but the Jedi Council may have you believe that they can see through the future as clearly as the crystal in your saber. They mean well and mostly do as is right..."  
  
She interrupted, indignance in her tone, "Why would I want to follow those that think they know better than you or I or this Qui-Gon?" It was surprising that any would tell her of the will of the Force. It seemed foolish when she could sense what needed to be done quite easily on her own.  
  
"I know you think the path is clear now, but at times the way becomes clouded. It is then that sharing their visions aids the Council to help the galaxy at large." He sat on a large cushion, then, indicating that she follow his lead. "Simply remember to weigh their decisions against the whisperings you hear in your own mind."  
  
The vision faded and Asajj opened her eyes. What was she doing here? Was she prepared to be led around by the nose once more? Surely not. She was worth much more to the galaxy than that. No, this was not a viable option. There had to be a way out of this, once and for all, even if she had to cheat death yet again to do it.  
  
Asajj closed her eyes and, pushing her fears aside, reached into the Force once more. This time it yielded easily to her humble request. She opened up the most tightly shielded corner of her mind and there she crafted a plan for her escape.  


  



	11. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 11

  


Teran Flac spaceport hovered over its lifeless planetary anchor like a fly drawn to a dung pile. The artificial gravity well around the port held the atmosphere in, wrapping the station in a yellow cloud of pollution and haze.   
  
Hangar bays were spread around the port in an anarchaic pattern, some of them quite far from the bustling trade center that was the main attraction of the port. Their distance allowed those that wished it to land with little fanfare, the crowds preferring to stay close to the action and avoid the long walk necessary since the breakdown of the port's tram system years before.  
  
It was within one of these remote buildings that a small ship sat alone, its vents spitting steam into the cool air of the echoing space. The hatch opened with a hiss and two figures emerged from the humid fog. At the bottom of the short ramp, they turned back toward the open doorway.  
  
“Watch her carefully until we return, Equatorum.” The leader of the Inquisitorium trio told his companion. “She may have turned against the Jedi once more, but that makes her loyalty to the Emperor all the more dubious.”  
  
The towering, gaunt figure nodded his head. “She shall not escape our grasp, my brother.”  
  
“It is pleasing to hear you say that. The Emperor would not be quick to reward us if we were to lose her gain, despite Kenobi’s capture.”  
  
With a nod of acknowledgement, Equatorum closed the hatch and the two Inquisitors left to complete their errands.  
  
Deciding to check on his charges before meditating, Equatorum moved along the tight corridor of the ship. Palming a small control pad, a door opened into a small room with a long table inside. Upon the hard steel lay the unconscious form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Reaching into the Force yielded little information to the Dark sider above him. The Force collar still wrapped around the Jedi’s neck not only prevented him from using the Force, but also blocking his captors from using it to probe him. He existed as little more than a void within the Force, yet Equatorum knew the vulnerability existed as little more than an illusion. The moment the collar was removed, there would be a flood of Light energy that would outshine a star.  
  
How the Jedi managed to hide that Light in the sands of Tatooine, the Inquisitor had little idea, but thought was not of much consequence now that the Inquisitorium had him. He was bound for the Citadel Inquisitorious and from that tower there would be no escape.  
  
The Inquisitor placed a hand on Kenobi's head, testing his skin's firmness. He looked forward to personally performing the Extraction on this prize specimen. After all, he had fought Kenobi and was entitled his revenge for the damage inflicted upon him by the Light sider.  
  
Kenobi would be no challenge to the machines, a thought that caused a small grin to slide across Equatorum's face. When that process was completed, they would open him up to the probes. It was then that they would divine all of his darkest secrets and he would be utterly powerless to stop them. Perhaps they may even keep him alive for the procedure, beings seemed to give up information more readily when they were still in their corporeal forms.  
  
Returning once more to the task at hand, Equatorum continued his testing of the Jedi's body. A few moments later, detecting no movement or possibility of awareness from the prone form, Equatorum turned his back on the man with a dismissive huff and left the room.  
  
A bit further down the passage, he palmed open a similar door. The being inside the steel chamber contrasted with the other prisoner as night to day. She was wide awake, her mind attentive and probing his own from within the Darkest parts of the Force.  
  
The Emperor was right in tracking down this one. She was more powerful than they had first anticipated. When she did not give into her fears, of course, though this weakness assuredly would let the Emperor maintain control over her.  
  
She looked at him when he entered and a small smirk passed over her lips. “The other two are gone? Running little errands, I suppose?”  
  
He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Don’t bother trying to hide such things from me. As well insulated as this ship is, a hatch opening and closing is well within my hearing. That and I could sense their departure quite easily.”  
  
The Dark side swirled around her like a cloak, rebuffing his attempts to gain entry to her thoughts. Their eyes locked and she did not waver from his gaze. Yes, the Dark side served her much more powerfully than the Light side. This was not the same fearful being they had faced in the courtyard on Tatooine. Her display of control was impressive, even to one of his skills. He saw that she would make a powerful ally, the thought bringing a tight-lipped smile to his own face.  
  
“Yes,” he finally admitted. “They have gone to retrieve a repast for you. We still have some distance to traverse before we reach Prakkith.”  
  
“I thought as much.” She confirmed, finally breaking away from his piercing gaze, though he did not get the sense she did so out of defeat.  
  
Sitting down on the bunk, she gestured at the chair next to her. “Come, why don’t we talk a while. I have not been in contact with the state of galactic affairs for some time. Surely there has been much progress since I disappeared.”  
  
“That will wait until we have arrived at the Citadel. You will speak with the Emperor then and he will tell you what you need to know.” He replied, his tone stilted, as he turned to leave; he was not used to being the one answering questions.  
  
“Am I to believe you only do as the Emperor tells you, Inquisitor? Are you but a pup, cowering in the folds of Palpatine's cloak?” she punctuated the barb with a sharp laugh.  
  
“The Inquisitorium is an ancient and venerable order.” He hissed at her, a tendril of Dark energy lashing out at her across the room. “We do as the Emperor asks for he brings the power to continue our study of the Dark side.”  
  
“Yes, I can see he couldn't have a hold over you.” She agreed, her voice thick with sarcasm as she rubbed her jaw where the small whip left a red mark upon her skin. “You know, power attracts me, Equatorum.” She stood, moving towards him. “Why do you think I went to Kenobi in the first place?”  
  
“You were running, scared, and we had you trapped like a Lagobun in a hutch.” He stated with confidence. “You ran to the Jedi because you had no where else to go and there came under the influence of the Light side.”  
  
“Well, yes, there was that.” She shrugged her slim shoulders, a relaxed smile on her face. “But he is also quite handsome, for a monk. And he does have power to match almost anyone, that you must admit.” she continued as her smile spread like a satisfied tusk cat.  
  
“All Force users are powerful in their own way, they would not survived long if they were not.” He agreed, his face a scowl of chagrin.  
  
She took a slow, graceful step towards the Inquisitor. “And yet you defeated him, took him down as if tossing aside a toy with which you had grown bored.” She smiled at him hungrily. “Now that is the kind of power I could be interested in.”  
  
“You attempt to seduce me, Asajj Ventress. Some might be flattered by such forwardness, but I am Inquisitorium. Your wiles have no effect on me.”  
  
“A shame.” Her face briefly fell in disappointment before the smile returned. “I would have liked to see what you could do with that collection Dark energy you call a body.” She purred. “It’s so… flexible.”  
  
“I have no need for the pleasures of the flesh.” The Inquisitor told her, his voice growing colder as he took a step back towards the door. “It only serves to corrupt my connection to the anger and hate that feeds the Dark side.”  
  
“Who said anything about pleasure, my Inquisitor?” she moved in closer, the stench of rot emanating from the black-clad being filling her nostrils. “Pain would serve equally as well and would be so much more interesting.”  
  
“The brotherhood of Inquisitors has no need for such distractions.” He stated, blocking out the emotions she stirred within him with every bit of willpower he could grasp.  
  
“Oh, I think you do protest a bit too much or you would have left long ago.” She leaned into his robes, her breath soft on his pale, scarred flesh.  
  
They stood there a moment, neither moving as her face hovered close to his, stretched to her toes in order to reach his height.  
  
“No?” she shrugged her shoulders, slipping back down into a more solid footing before sliding her hand down to open her robe. “Well, than perhaps this will distract you.”  
  
There was a flash of green in the dim room as the emerald blade of a lightsaber ignited directly into the cloak of the stunned Inquisitor. It’s plasma heat seared upwards through the Dark being’s misty flesh, his scream punctuating the move.  
  
With a lightning flash, Asajj’s blade soared back down, cleaning slicing the Inquisitor’s head from his body as his form slumped to the floor. Kicking at the cloak, she watched with disgust as the mist coalesced into a pile of blackened gel staining the floor.  
  
A moment later, the Force set off warning sirens in her head. Equatorum's death would be felt through his brethern's Force bond. Now she had only a few minutes to prepare before they came to take their revenge. 


	12. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 12

  


Bright light filtered through the drugged haze of his mind. Where was he? Was he injured? Obi-Wan reached out with his feelings, trying to sense something, anything. The cold feel of metal around his throat as he shifted told him the effort was futile. He was entrapped by a Force collar, its fluctuating electrical pulses programmed to confuse the midichlorians in his cells. Prolonged exposure would eventually kill the microscopic organisms, forever severing his connection to the Force. As Obi-Wan's mind cleared, the space within him usually filled with the Force clarified into a cesspool of nothingness. He wondered how long he had been under the influence of the collar's spasmodic voltage.   
  
Blinking, he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, his head throbbing in reaction to the quick motion. As his vision cleared, a blurry figure next to the table he lay on coalesced into the form of a woman, a look of tension painted across her pale face.  
  
"Kenobi. You're awake. Good." she hissed at him as she placed the empty injector of epinephrine on a side table. "The Inqisitors are on their way. Well, two of them are anyway, the third won't be a problem any longer."  
  
Obi-wan was surprised when she shuddered slightly, a victory over an Inquisitor should have bolstered her confindence but instead it seemed the opposite had occured. He couldn't quite tell though, her body language was hard to read.  
  
"Your pattern of treachery and helplessness is growing tiresome." Obi-Wan sighed as he put his hands up to his throbbing head. "What do you want me to do, exactly? In case you've forgotten, you betrayed me yet again and now you wish me to help you?" He rubbed his temples as the pain began to clear.  
  
"There's no time for this, Kenobi." her voice was filled with desperation, just as it had been that first night on Tatooine. "If they kill me, you'll never get away from them on your own. I've got your saber here. Promise me you'll help me kill them and I'll release you."  
  
He stared at her, trying to catch a glimpse of her intent. Her expression spoke of nothing but the truth, that she was desperate to get away from her captors and he was her only hope. Without the Force, he was reliant on this imperfect method of deduction. Having a pounding headache only compounded the situation, obstructing his thoughts.  
  
It was time for the trained diplomat within him to come to the fore. He quickly ran the scenario over in his mind; Ventress' growing agitation, the Inquisitors' imminent arrival, his own safety and the safety of his mission. The largest variable in the equation was the one that worried him the most. Could Ventress be trusted to remain at his side this time? He would have to rely on the reaction of his basic, human gut instinct for the time being.  
  
A long moment of silence passed between them before Obi-Wan nodded his head and Venress dove for the key cylinder, quickly releasing him from the binders and Force collar.  
  
When the collar was removed, he was unprepared for the onslaught of emotions that rocketed through his mind. Ventress' Force signature was a swirling whirlpool of Light and Dark, neither holding sway over the other. He realized in that moment that he was seeing her true nature. This was how the Force worked in some beings, the Grey ones. Unable to purge either sides of the dichotomy from themselves to allow for the other to thrive, they pulled on both. They were beings of chaos, indescriminatley preserving and destroying at will with self preservation their main thrust in life.  
  
A grim thought passed through his mind as he stood, testing his balance and strength for the battle to come. If Asajj Ventress would adhere to neither the Jedi nor the Sith teachings, what would she do when this was all over? Where would she go and to whom would her allegiance lie when she found she had no debt to either side?  
  
Pushing the questions aside, Obi-Wan prepared for the task at hand. There would be no surprises this time, he now understood the Inquisitors tactics. Straigtening his tunic with an irritable tug, he turned to Ventress and she handed him the hilt of his saber. She nodded to him and turned to head out the door, trusting that the Jedi would not take advantage of her turned back.  
  
The hangar bay was empty, the glare of artificial lights shining down on the grimy surface of the deck. It looked like many of the spaceports Obi-Wan found himself in during various missions for the Jedi. He had seen enough of them that he could usually tell one from the other at a glance, yet this one was unfamiliar to his memory.  
  
There was little time for reconnaissance as a swirling nadir of Dark side energy entered the hangar ahead of the Inquisitors and reached out to lash at the Jedi and his erstwhile student.  
  
Obi-Wan's shielded himself instinctively, though not quickly enough to avoid the impact of the dark and dangerous emotions spewed at him. The visage of a dark figure painted itself across his inner mindscape. It moved toward him, its red blade slicing down as it crowed with a mixture of rage and satisfaction. Shaking his head, Obi-Wan pushed the vision aside and strengthened his mental shielding.  
  
Ventress gave him a sideways glance as she ignited the saber she now carried. The light of its green blade reflected off her skin, giving it a sickly pallor instead of a verdant glow.  
  
"Move in close to them." he told her, his tone clipped. "They will not be as effective at close range and they won't be able to open their robes without exposing their vulnerabilities."  
  
"Yes, Kenobi, I've figured that out." she smirked as the door on the far side of the hangar slid open with a hiss.  
  
Obi-Wan had but a moment to wonder how exactly she discovered the Inquisitorium's weakness before they entered the cavernous space at a run.  
  
"Betrayer!" Venictum howled as he dove toward Asajj. "I will pull your entrails out through your nostrils!"  
  
She smiled at the threat, confident now that she had both Kenobi at her side and a method to combat the Dark warriors.  
  
Instead of taking a defensive stance as they had done in Mos Espa, Obi-Wan and Asajj ran headlong to meet the Inquisitors halfway across the hangar bay. With the snapping hiss of their lightsabers, the duo swung into their enemies with an unrelenting barrage of slashes and thrusts.  
  
Forced to retreat by the unexpected tactic, the Inquisitors backed each other defensively. Each tried to give the other an opportunity to gather more of the whips of Darkness they carried within them, a chance to go back on the attack. The combined assault of their combatants left them no opening as a subtle fear began to worm its way into their dark hearts.  
  
Obi-Wan found the Inqisitor's defenses degrading before his eyes and stepped up his attack even further. A look of bewilderment flashed across Venictum's face, obviously unprepared for the offensive moves flying at him from the Jedi Master.  
  
Surely Kenobi could not be that good, he was known as a master of defense, not attack. Realizing they had grossly underestimated the Jedi, he now understood exactly how Lord Vader came to find himself within a cage of plastisteel and wiring.  
  
When a hole opened in Venictum's defense, Obi-Wan plunged his saber in and sliced upward as the Inquisitor fell, melting into a gelatin coated pile of fabric at his feet. Surprised to see his foe disappear before his eyes, the Jedi poked at the pile with his foot, stopping suddenly when a tremor ran through the Force. The premonitory feeling sent a shiver down his spine before a pained scream drew his attention back to the battle.  
  
The primal sound erupted from Kalmastrum, witnessing his companion's death. Turning to battle both Obi-Wan and Asajj, he whipped open his robes and a flurry of tentacles erupted from within the dark recesses of his body. The two warriors joined their attacks, blades spinning until they blurred into a solid arc of blue and green.  
  
The remaining Inquisitor was unable to maintain his defense for long before both blades plunged deeply into his robe and he, too, dissolved into a puddle of fabric at their feet.  
  
Asajj closed her lightsaber with a hiss and turned toward Obi-Wan, a smile of triumph upon her face. She wiped the sweat from her brow and breathed deeply, trying to regain her breath as the Force swirled between them in unsettling, shifting patterns. There was a look upon her fellow warrior's face she was unsure how to read. He did not smile, instead he stood in an offensive position, his blade still ignited and humming in his hand. 


	13. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, chapter 13

  


Two long time enemies stood facing each other in the docking bay of a grungy spaceport in a far corner of the galaxy. After years of obsessive animosity, the two had managed to make a bit of peace between them. One had agreed, reluctantly, to teach the other the ways of the Jedi. The student struggled along the path her teacher laid out for her, each small step a triumph that brought them closer to a shared understanding of one another.   
  
Routines developed as the months passed. Cooking, training, sharing space, the daily grind of their lives wove together as they learned acceptance of each other's quirks and petty peeves. A bond formed and from that seed a friendship and respect began to take root. Tentative trust, fragile in its newness, began to emerge as both sides found admirable qualities and unexpected depth in the other.  
  
Yet, all was not as it seemed. A silent deception threatened the delicate balance between teacher and student. The student worked endlessly to hide that she was being tracked, hunted by those who would cause her teacher the most harm. Flashes of guilt tugged at her as each day passed and she knew it was only a matter of time until the her pursuers caught up with her.  
  
When the secret was revealed at last, she did what she could to stand by her teacher's side. They battled the evil Inquisitors together as she tried to redeem herself. Yet the onslaught proved too much for her fragile grasp of the Light side to withstand. Her will and self control crumbled before her teacher's eyes as she committed the ultimate betrayal and aided her pursuers in capturing the man she had begun to think of as a friend.  
  
Opportunity presented itself in the fullness of time and, with the aid of her erstwhile mentor, the student managed to overcome the demons bent on controlling her future. With the Inquisitors out of the way there were now decisions to be made. Blocking Asajj Ventress' path to freedom, there remained a lone Jedi Master to whom she owed both a large debt and much retribution.  
  
Long before he agreed to take her in, Asajj Ventress had done much to harry the war efforts of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Order. As Count Dooku's apprentice, she ordered acts of genocide, framed the Jedi for assassinations and targeted Obi-Wan and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, the latter on Dooku's orders and the former for her own sense of revenge.  
  
Memories of the fierce battle on Boz Pity still ran through her mind. Kenobi, believing there was an uncorrupted core somewhere within his enemy, tried desperately to free her mind from the Dark side. In turn, an injured Ventress fought desperately to kill her savior. In the end it had been Anakin who dealt the final blow, protecting his Master and allowing his emotions to gain the upper hand once again.  
  
It was then that Ventress and Kenobi came to their first true understanding. Mortally wounded, she revealed a secret that would aid the Republic and released her anger and hatred toward the men she so passionately fought to slay. As she slipped into a deep healing trance, Kenobi's sorrow at her apparent death followed her. It was this giving nature within him that drew her to his side when her life was once again in danger.  
  
Now all between them was laid low once more. The fragile trust in broken shards around their feet, Ventress knew they must somehow find a way to rebuild their understanding. A parting of ways seemed to her the most obvious choice. Perhaps one day the rift between them could heal once more and their friendship be renewed.  
  
She eyed Kenobi warily as she wiped the sweat still trickling from her brow. The lingering scent of oil and decay permeated the air between them, emanating from the greasy piles of fabric at their feet. Their enemies were vanquished and now their future, together or apart, would unfold and only the Force knew what that would entail.  
  
The inner voice that had guided Obi-Wan his entire life whispered in his ear. Reaching out into the Force, his sense of the future clarified down into clear lines of possibility. There were few choices open to him now that Ventress had shone her true colors.  
  
Did he think that she was going to run to the Emperor with news of his survival? No, that would put her own skin at too much risk. Could he trust that she would not give him up as a bargaining chip if she were to be captured? That possibility was far too likely to allow him any peace in an already difficult position.  
  
Years of training, decades of struggle and the deep wounds of recent loss etched themselves across his very soul. The events of his life molded him into the man standing there now. There were trials in his future, he could feel them flickering on the distant horizon of the Force. What he did next would take him that much closer to preparedness for the journey to come. He would be one step further from the past he wished to leave behind, but could never truly escape, for it already served to lay out his destiny more surely than any decision he would make today.  
  
Yet another student had chosen to give in to the easy path the Dark side offered instead of following his teachings. Perhaps it was time for a change of methods, for the harder he fought for the Light, the more his actions appeared to aid the ever encroaching Darkness. If ever he got the chance to impart his training to the small boy under his protection, he would not push him. Instead, Luke would find his own path through the Force and be allowed to discover its power and beauty for himself.  
  
Grasping his lightsaber tightly in one hand, Obi-Wan lowered the blade, stepping forward to meet Asajj's eyes.  
  
She laughed when she saw the dangerous look on his face, an outward sign to cover the flutter of fear in her belly. "Kenobi? Going to kill me next?"  
  
He made no response and she stepped closer to him, hardening her expression. "Kenobi, what is this?" her brows furrowed as she waited for him to speak.  
  
"You shall not be leaving this spaceport as a free being, Ventress." he spoke in an even tone, his Coruscanti accent crisp. This was her last chance. Obi-Wan knew in his heart that her answer would determine her future as well as the actions he would take.  
  
"You really are going to kill me, then?" She snapped at him, taking a more defensive stance, then smirked. "Take your best shot, Kenobi. I'm ready for you. You're not the only one who's been studying their enemy's moves."  
  
"No, Ventress, I'm no murderer." he shook his head and dropped his gaze. For an instant, a pained, faraway look crossed his face. "But you cannot be trusted to leave my side." He gestured at the ship as if to direct her toward its entrance. "You will return with me to Tatooine."  
  
Asajj wondered what new game Kenobi was playing at here before she remembered that this man was more straightforward than any other being she had ever met. He did not toy with words, if he said something, it was to be taken at face value. This was no game.  
  
"You expect me to live out the rest of my life with you on that rock?" She stepped back into a casual stance and placed a fist on her hip. "No way, Kenobi. This is the end of the line." She waggled the lightsaber hilt at him. "With the Inquisitors dead, I'm out of harm's way. I thank you for your protection, but it's time we parted. I'll figure out my next step and you'll go back to protecting whatever it is you're watching over in Mos Eisley."  
  
A pit opened up in his stomach at her mention of his mission, but he pushed the foreboding feeling aside and cleared his mind, drawing the Force around him like a cloak. While she may know there was something worth watching over, she had no clue what it could possibly be that kept him on the desert planet. "No, I am truly sorry, Ventress, but I cannot allow that."  
  
"There are ways out of this hanger besides going through you, Kenobi." Asajj turned on her heel and headed toward the far end of the hangar.  
  
She launched herself for the door at a run, her heart pounding in her chest. This was not how things were supposed to happen. Kenobi was not playing along with her haphazardly crafted plan. She was a few strides from the door when a blur flashed in front of her, stunning her into an ungraceful halt.  
  
"Kenobi. You can't block every entrance." she spat out. "Even you can't be everywhere at once." Turning away from him again, she sped off towards the ship.  
  
Again he was there to block her path. "This is not how things have to happen, Asajj." He tried using her name in a final bid to change her mind, change her path. "Just stop here and come with me now."  
  
"Do you honestly think you could hold me there for long, Kenobi?" she laughed at him and began pulling any bit of Force energy she could around herself. "You have no hope of keeping me where I don't want to be. I'll not be kept captive any longer. I have had enough of living under anyone's boot heel."  
  
She was done with these men and their desire to control her as if she were some common harlot. She was a warrior, bred and trained. Her pride would not allow her to make any more sacrifices.  
  
"Be that as it may, Asajj, there is still too much at risk to allow you to roam the galaxy at will." Obi-Wan straightened up, holding his hilt in front of him as he ignited the azure blade. His voice took on an uncompromising authority. "You will come with me. Now."  
  
"No." was the woman's growled, one word response, accompanied by the snap hiss of her own blade's activation.  
  
Ventress whipped the large, emerald blade at Kenobi's head with startling speed, but he was well prepared for her attack and blocked it easily. She moved to a more aggressive stance and drove in again with a series of thrusts and slices. Obi-Wan did not underestimate his opponent. He faced her before in similar battles and knew that she was a skilled warrior. Drawing on the Force to aid his endurance, the Jedi Master settled in for a prolonged battle.  
  
When a small breath of space allowed him the opportunity, he spoke to her once more. "Asajj, stop now. I will not fight you any further if you lower your weapon."  
  
Years of pent up frustration, disappointment and anger vented themselves from the depths of Asajj Ventress' soul and she screamed at him, "No. It ends here, Kenobi. It goes no further."  
  
Minutes flew by as the two combatants advanced and retreated, each seeming to have the upper hand for a fleeting moment before the stalemate resumed. The reactions of each were as different as night to day. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi trained and dueling master, deepened the fighting trance that opened him to deep levels within the Force. His mind, body and weapon became as one as the space around him faded into light and shadow, action and reaction.  
  
Asajj Ventress had no such solace in her heart. She was working much too hard to maintain her connection to the Force and she knew it. Triumphant satisfaction at each success was quickly dosed by anger and frustration every time she was forced to retreat.  
  
She blocked, he parried. She moved forward, a snarl painted across her fair skin. Sweat ran down the sides of her face, her composure all but lost in the face of Obi-Wan's swinging blade. The light of the Force shimmered in weak patterns around her as she tried to pull dust and metal scrap close enough to fling it at her attacker, but her concentration was too splintered to allow her that much control.  
  
Her breathing grew deeper and more gasping. Desperation led her to reach for any aid she could find. The call was answered as it was given. The Dark side flooded through her, building a frantic power that threatened to burst from her fingertips. With a grin, she unleashed her new found strength onto her Jedi enemy, momentarily knocking him off his feet. But this was not to be the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi, at least not yet.  
  
Obi-Wan saw the change coming. Through the haze of the Force that now led his every movement, he saw Ventress cross further and further into the shadows. When her smirking grin appeared out of the blackest of the shadows, he knew she was lost. He finally let go of the restraints that kept his blade in check. When there was still desire on her part to hold on to the Light side, he held himself back, not doing any more than grazing an arm here, a leg there. Now he let go and watched as if from a distance as his blade blurred into a stream of white heat, unrelenting as it forced her to yield ground, step by step.  
  
His months of training with her served him well and he was ready for the onslaught of anger and the flurry of strikes that came back at him. He defended each blow and waited, watching. Then it appeared, small and subtle, but all he would need. Her hand slipped on the hilt of her saber, her sweat preventing her from keeping a firm grip. The action of readjustment took the blink of an eye, but when the Force is your ally, a blink is all the time in the world.  
  
Obi-Wan's blade flashed into the weak spot with the burning heat of a supernova. The single motion cleaved both of her hands from her wrists. Ventress screamed as the blade burned through her flesh and bone and she dove at Obi-Wan, brandishing no weapon but her desperate desire to destroy her long time foe.  
  
Completely flooded by the power of the Force, Obi-Wan was barely aware of his own reaction as the banshee he had once taken under his care came flying towards him. Time stood still as his azure blade came around and sliced her shrieking head from her body. Still in motion, her torso landed in his arms and he knelt under its sudden weight. 


	14. extantholocron | When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted, epilogue

  


Obi-Wan stood before the transparisteel window, lost in thought as he contemplated his next action. His sense of honor required a bonfire and a crowd of solemn mourners for the body before him. Circumstances well beyond his control prevented him from giving the still form a proper burial. His very existance was one of the best kept secrets in the galaxy and it was vitally important that the deception remained veiled from the outside world. A smoking pyre would be sure to draw attention, especially on the dry desert dunes of his destination.   
  
Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan said a few words over the the remains of a woman he had battled, befriended and been forced to destroy. Her story was a long and tragic tale, yet it gave the Jedi a small bit of peace. If nothing else, Asajj Ventress' death closed one of the many incomplete circles in his life.  
  
His hand hovered over a button on the panel at the side of the door. With a heavy sigh, Obi-Wan pressed it until it clicked passed the safety mechanism. There was a soft whooshing noise as the outer airlock door opened, sucking out the contents of the small chamber.  
  
Running a hand through his greying hair, Obi-Wan moved back into the cockpit of the craft. He watched the monitor as Asajj's body floated back behind the exhausts. Carefully manuevering the craft, he ignighted the engines and watched as the drifting form was engulfed in the flames of the afterburners.  
  
While he returned his attention to the piloting the craft, a dull ache began to work itself across his shoulders, then through his entire body. The last few days battles finally wearing on him as weariness set in. After reprogramming the navicomputer for his destination, Obi-Wan lay back in the pilot's seat and closed his eyes.  
  
In what seemed like a few scant moments, the hyperdrive indicator began to beep, waking him from an uneasy sleep. He shut off the alarm, ceasing the loud, irritating sound and leaving the small space in silence. Rubbing his eyes, Obi-Wan took a few deep breaths, then stretched as best he could in the chair.  
  
The dusty surface of Tatooine reflected the light of its two suns into the cockpit, the glare so bright it stunned the eyes. An odd feeling came over Obi-Wan as he piloted the craft away from the normal landing patterns and turned on the distress signal. He was going home. The Temple had been home for so much of his life, yet he had never spent much time there. Tatooine had sheltered him for years now. Despite the dangers out in the galaxy, there was a certain amount of security afford him here.  
  
After sending the craft into a dive, he stood and moved toward the single escape pod at the rear of the ship. Checking that the two lightsabers were securely attached to his belt, he closed the door and launched the tiny shuttle towards the surface.  
  
As the craft decended through the dry atmosphere of the desert planet, Obi-Wan curled his feet up in the cramped space. The pod was much like Tatooine, a microcosm of his situation. Here he was in a precarious place, vulnerable to asteroids and debris with precious little lifesupport; only enough air to reach planetside and no more.  
  
In much the same way, Tatooine was a planet-sized escape pod for the exiled Jedi. Dangers surrounded he and Luke on a daily basis. Their safety was at risk from attack by Sandpeople, sever drought and desperate criminals. Yet it was out of reach of the Emperor and his new apprentice. Neither of them cared much for what occured on the Hutt-controlled planet.  
  
Obi-Wan was lost in thought as the tiny pod came in for a rough landing at the edge of the Dune Sea. Qui-Gon's words floated back to him, reminding him of their first visit to Tatooine. A queen was in danger and the Jedi chose to hide her on Tatooine. When reminded that the Hutts were quite dangerous Qui-Gon, in his calm, reasoning way, had replied, "But the Hutts are not looking for us, and that gives us the advantage."  
  
Smiling at the memory, Obi-Wan disembarked from the craft and began the trek to his home. Soon a bulking Jawa Sandcrawler or some other scavenging group would come through and pick the pod clean. By next week there would be no trace of his arrival.  
  
Upon arriving, Obi-Wan looked around his small dwelling. "Ben" he reminded himself out loud. "My name is Ben." He sighed audibly, "I don't know how long it will take me to remember that." Then he laughed at himself. "Surely a time will come when I will be unable to recall the last time I heard my own name!"  
  
As he tried to settle in, things did not feel quite as secure as he hoped, considering recent events. It seemed it was too easy to find this house, despite it being hidden within the tight canyon. Tomorrow he would start scouting for a new place to live. During his decent, he had spotted an outcropping of rock that appeared to have a dwelling built onto it. The higher ground would allow him a better view of any visitors who may approach and was also a few miles closer to the Lars' moisture farm.  
  
A few hours later, after a meal, the ghostly presence of his Master appeared. Qui-Gon listened to the full tale, though much he knew already and it was many hours later when Obi-Wan climbed into bed, finally ready for some rest. Pulling up the covers, he settled in and turned toward the small bedside table. Upon it lay three lightsaber hilts, light glinting off them in the dim glow of the lamp. He brushed them lightly with his fingertips before dousing the lamp and closing his eyes to sleep.  
  
~.~  
  
A figure stood in an empty alleyway. Mos Eisley residents were proving quite giving to his manipulations, if his information was correct.  
  
After activating the high-end communicator, the dark-clad being knelt, his head bowed. A hologram projected from the unit; the figure of a man his rich robes juxtaposed with the dusty ground upon which he appeared.  
  
He acknowledged the being's prostration with a wave of his hand. "You have news for me?"  
  
The spy looked around for eavesdroppers before replying in a whisper. "Yes, Emperor. He has arrived back at home."  
  
The Emperor smiled, slick confidence in his tone as he spoke. "Good. Keep watch on him. And the boy?"  
  
"Sleeping soundly in his uncle's home." the spy nodded, emphasizing the solidity of his information.  
  
"Ah, good. Things are proceeding exactly as I have foreseen." A subtle glee was evident in the Sith lord's voice.  
  
"Yes, milord." came the humble reply. "Am I to receive new orders?"  
  
"No. Keep watching them. That is my task for you. I want to know that my little pawns are in place when my plan comes together." The Emperor nodded his head and steepled his hands, watching his informant battle with a question, but maintaining his reticence. "You wish to ask a question. Speak." he told the being.  
  
The shadowy figure swallowed hard before speaking, fear lacing his speech. "How long shall I be required here, milord? How long until your plan comes together?"  
  
The Emperor grinned once more, pleased at his own foresight. "Years, my loyal servant. It will be years. The boy shall be almost a man. He must be prepared to take on his role before I may move forward. Do not worry yourself, you shall be well compensated."  
  
"Thank you, milord." the figure replied, sighing with relief as the transmission faded.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the original posting notes from theforce.net
> 
> Title: When The Hunter Becomes The Hunted  
> Author(s): Jennifer_Lyn  
> Timeframe: Interology  
> Characters: Obi-Wan, Asajj Ventress and evil OCs  
> Genre: Drama  
> Summary: Asajj Ventress appears on Tatooine looking for Obi-Wan's help.  
> Notes: The galaxy's largest thank you to my awesome Evil Master oqidaun for getting this thing going! Be sure to let me know if you want pm reminders!  
> Disclaimer: Hi Uncle George! This is not the author you're looking for, move along!
> 
> Winner: 'Best Canon Story' and 'Best Canon Interpretation, Male- Obi-Wan Kenobi' 2006 Summer Saga Awards!  
> The Saga Story of the month for October 2006!


End file.
